No Greater Love
by Amy Lock
Summary: She was a science experiment,designed to surpass the benefits of evolution,she was a souless fighter,property of the US govt. But above all she was her daughter,and no matter what it took,she would save her. Done, finished, complete!!! Hope you enjoyed!
1. Like An Angel

Title: No Greater Love  
  
Author: Amy Lock (AKA Sea Angel)  
  
Disclaimer: Actually, in this first chapter they are all mine except for Manticore. But as the chapters roll on, a disclaimer is gonna need to be put up, so I'll just do it now. Max, Logan and any other Dark Angel characters are the sole property of James Cameron and Charles Eglee. Suing me would be quite pointless because all my money has gone to pay for tuition.  
  
Dedication: I want to dedicate this to my mother who has helped me through some pretty rough times of my own, and to my friend Naomi, for being such a goofball, and for joining in on my love for this show.  
  
Author's Notes: I came up with this idea quite a while ago, but I've been very busy, and I could not think up a name for the main character. Then today I was sitting in a sociology lecture, and my prof said something that struck a chord, and I knew right then and there that her name had to be Eve. Evangeline became the full name because it means 'like an angel'. I'm not going to tell you why her name had to be Eve, though, you have to figure that one out for yourself. I know that I'm being mean, but I figure that if I have to analyze stories then so do you. :)  
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No Greater Love  
  
  
Evangeline lifted a green pepper to her nose and took a strong sniff. As the smell of the perfectly ripe pepper filled her senses, she smiled triumphantly, and placed it in her ugly brown, canvas shopping bag. It was a rare and wonderful accomplishment to find a perfect piece of produce at these markets now. She remembered a time when she used to accompany her mother to supermarkets filled with lush fruits and vegetables and aisles of delectable treats. Now, she noted with a slight smirk, it took fifteen minutes of picking and smelling rank peppers just to find a half decent one at the bottom of the pile.  
  
"Quite an accomplishment."  
  
Evangeline turned at the unfamiliar voice with surprise. Beside her stood a friendly yet very weary looking young woman with dirty blond hair and laughing blue eyes. In one arm she carried a small boy who looked to be about a year old; in the other hand she was holding firmly onto another child, this one a girl.  
  
"Pardon me?" Evangeline smiled curiously at the woman, "Were you talking to me?"  
  
The woman laughed, "Sorry. Yes, I was. I was just commenting about your fortune at finding a good pepper." She laughed again, this time rather self-deprecating, "My, our world must be in a poorer shape than I thought, when strangers on the street start discussing their luck at finding vegetables like we used to discuss winning the lottery."  
  
Eve smiled agreeably, and the young woman pulled her hand free of the little girl, to offer it in a handshake.  
  
"My name's Maia."  
  
"Eve."  
  
"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you. Eve, that's a beautiful name. Actually, I wanted to name this little one that, but my husband wouldn't hear of it. We settled on Andrea."  
  
Eve smiled with delight at the young girl, who in turn gave her a grin void of a front tooth. "Yes, well, it's a shortened version. My actual name is Evangeline. My parents were big into the meanings behind the name, and when my mother found out that Evangeline meant 'like an angel', I was named right then and there."  
  
Maia nodded in agreeance as she popped a couple peppers into her own brown bag, and moved onto the next table with Eve.  
  
"Evangeline. That's a beautiful name as well. Give my commends to your mother the next time you're talking to her."  
  
Eve smiled faintly as she picked up a slightly bruised apple. She noticed absently, that her nails had only gotten worse since she had vowed little more than a week ago that she was going to stop chewing them.  
  
"Actually, my Mom passed away quite some time ago. But thank-you for the compliment."  
  
"I'm sorry to hear that."  
  
Evangeline could hear genuine regret laced in Maia's voice, and smiled dismissively, "It's okay. "  
  
The group moved onto the next table, this one filled with battered tomatoes.  
  
"I guess my name's all right, I've never really minded it anyway. I do prefer Eve to Evangeline. If I'd have had my pick, though, my name would be Eden. I've always loved that name."  
  
As soon as the words came out of her mouth, warning signals shot through every inch of Eve's body. What the hell had possessed her to say that? Thinking quickly, Eve changed the subject before unwanted memories overpowered her.  
  
"What's this little guys name?" Eve reached one finger out to the little baby, who closed her finger into a chubby little fist and began using it as a teething toy.  
  
Maia laughed embarrassed, "His name is Matt, and please forgive him. He's not quite into manners, though it isn't for lack of trying."  
  
Eve giggled, delighted with the toddlers affections, "No problem here. I love children."  
  
Grinning appreciatively, Maia pulled Matt's fist (and consequently Eve's finger) out of his mouth, then continued with her shopping list.  
  
"Oh really? Do you have any of your own?"  
  
At those familiar words, Eve's smile promptly disappeared from her face as pain lanced through every nerve of her body. Memories and regrets threatened to drown her right then and there, but she managed to fight her way to the surface in order to mumble, "No."  
  
Noticing the sudden change of expression on her new friends face, Maia decided to change the subject.  
  
"Oh, well, lucky you, then. These little monsters can drive you bonkers at times." Maia kept her voice unusually cheerful. She had been down this path before. Many of her close friends had been unable to have their own children, and with the economy doing so poorly, no one could afford any sort of in vitro work. Still there was a pain in Eve's eyes that Maia had not seen in any of her other friends, and it caused her to turn her face towards her son, and away from Eve.  
  
Eve managed a somewhat grateful smile, but the words still stung her deep inside, and she kept any further comments quiet until her voice had returned.  
  
Silently, the new acquaintances made there way to the cash line. When Eve felt her voice again, she spoke up.  
  
"Sorry about that." she said it quietly, and Maia had to struggle to hear amidst the Seattle noise. "No, I...ah, I don't have any children. I'd love to, but I'm afraid that my life hasn't quite worked itself in that direction."  
  
Maia nodded knowingly, "Ah. But, you've still got time. You're only...what, thirty five or so?"  
  
Eve snorted, but a smile once again graced her pretty features, "Right. Not exactly. I'm thirty-nine."  
  
"Thirty-nine?"  
  
"And holding. And if anybody says any different, they're lying." Eve's large chocolate eyes swam with laughter, her earlier bout of sadness dissipating quickly  
  
Maia looked at her in astonishment, "Wow. You don't look a day over thirty five." At Eve's doubtful look, Maia added, "honestly."  
  
Eve laughed aloud, "Thank-you. You sure know how to flatter."  
  
Maia smiled, but shook her head. As she was about to respond, however, Andrea tugged at her sleeve.  
  
"Mommy, I need to go to the bathroom."  
  
"Just a sec, honey, we're almost outta here, and then we'll stop at the shop around the corner. Kay?"  
  
"Okay."  
  
Maia shot Eve a tired look as she straightened, and Eve smiled sympathetically in turn.  
  
After they had paid for their purchases, and it became clear that Andrea was not planning on being overly patient, Maia and Eve exchanged phone numbers. They decided it would be a good arrangement for their sanities. When Maia was frustrated with children, she would visit Eve. Whenever Eve became particularly lonely, then she would visit Maia and her children. After this conclusion and with a final tug by Andrea on Maia's shirt, they parted in separate directions.  
  
Eve arrived at her apartment cold and tired from her long walk with her heavy bag. Setting the bag on the counter, she proceeded to put away the groceries into her small cupboards. She found it hard to recall a time when her shelves had been full. Even now, with a good job to cushion her worries, the cupboards were just a step above bare. At times, she was almost glad for her lack of children. At least this way, she didn't have to worry about the small, hungry bellies. Or at least, she didn't have to see or hear about her children's hungry bellies. That was left up to someone else.  
  
Before her memories could assault her once again, Eve boiled a cup of hot water, and made herself a pot of tea. Stepping into her under furnished living room, she sat on her sand colored couch and turned on the television. Hope filled her eyes as she watched the show on the screen. It was a newer show, one of the many that was filmed in Canada. In this day and age, the United States couldn't afford any entertainment companies, and all the good shows seemed to be coming in from Canada. Next came an older show, "The Cosby Show", she believed. She vaguely remembered watching that show as a child. But as the night wore on, and there were no interruptions, her heart began to fall, and the hope disappeared from her eyes.   
  
Around about midnight Eve felt her eyes beginning to droop, and within an hour, she had fallen asleep. In her waking hours, Evangeline had been able to fight the memories and the fears, but in her sleep, they came with full force. And as always, the nightmare had to do with one thing, and one thing only. Her nightmare's always revolved around Manticore.  
  



	2. Eden

  
Title: No Greater Love  
  
Author: Amy Lock (aka Sea Angel)  
  
Disclaimer: Not mine, read chapter one for further `not mines'  
  
Author's Notes: Tee hee, I love messing with the names. Now Eden's in there, and that name has a reason as well. However, that one'll be explained in further chapters, where as Eve will probably not be. Oh well. Thanks to those of you who have written reviews. I never realized how important reviews are until I started writing fanfic, but now I'm thrilled to get them. Just be gentle, okay? Thanks.  
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As a child, Eve had always been full of energy and spunk, never confining to anyone's rules but her own. She was a tomboy, of sorts, except for the simple fact that she liked the delicasies usually allowed to women alone. She loved having painted nails, make-up was a hoot to her, and dresses were the highest of enjoyment. There was only one problem. Eve never slowed down enough for these things to last. The paint on her fingers became chipped from climbing trees or chewed to the quick by her infamous nervous habit. Make-up took too much time and dresses simply weren't practical enough for a girl who came into lunch with mud all over her jeans. There was one thing girly that she stayed true to and that was playing with dolls. She could spend hours upon hours playing with the soft little babies. Her favorite doll was a tiny cabbage patch that smelled of baby powder. Eve could not remember the doll's name anymore, but she would never forget the joy that it had provided her.  
  
Though Eve was known for her lack of attention as a small child, there was one thing that she could sit still for, and that was her grandfather's stories. She remembered sitting on the ground in front of him while a Seattle storm raged outside, listning to his powerful voice weaving unbelievable tales. Her favorite was the story of Adam and Eve.  
  
She could still remember the day that her grandfather recounted that one. The wind was screaming outside, the rain pelting down in huge gails. But inside, the electric fireplace was going strong, and Eve had never felt safer.  
  
"What story are you going to tell me today, Grandpa?"  
  
Eve was seated between the fire and the old rocking chair where her grandfather sat. She was snuggled tight into her long sleeved, cotton nightie; the one with the cute and sleepy brown bears on it. Clutched in her arms was her precious cabbage patch, and a jovial expression was perched precariously on Eve's face.  
  
Her grandpa chuckled with delight, and leaned towards her as if telling her the most important secret in the world.  
  
"How would you like it if I told you a story that my grandmother used to tell me? It is a story about a boy named Adam and a girl named Eve."  
  
Eve's large chocolate brown eyes expanded into the shape of saucers, her full lips dropping open.  
  
"Eve? But that's my name, Grandpa!"  
  
Her grandfather smiled, his hazel eyes dancing in sheer amuement at her reaction, "I know little one. That's why I want to tell it to you."  
  
Evangeline furrowed her brow in concentration and pursed her lips, "Are you just kidding with me? Was her name really Eve, or did you just make that up?"  
  
This time, her grandfather could not contain his laughter.  
  
"No, little one, I'm not making it up. His name was Adam and her name was Eve, and they were the first people who ever lived on this earth."  
  
Eve's eyes had grown big again, and they were watching her grandpa with a look of intense fascination.  
  
"Where did they live?"  
  
Her grandpa settled in his rocking chair with a smile, "They lived in Eden. In the garden of Eden."  
  
As he continued with the story, Eve payed close attention. She had never heard a story like this one before. Maybe it was because her name was in it, or maybe it was just sheer curiousity, but either way, Eve could not get her little mind off of it. Days later, while sitting at the supper table, Eve looked up at her parents and grandparents and declared in a firm voice that if she were to ever have a daughter of her own, she would name her Eden. While her parents and grandmother exchanged bemused glances at each other, her grandfather had caught her eye and winked at her. It was a proud, knowing wink, and Eve's resignation at the name only grew.  
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Max sat staring at Cindy, her eyes wide and intent as her friend finished polishing off her pinky finger.  
  
"Cindy", Max sighed in frustration, "This is pointless. It takes too much time to do this, and we both know that they're gonna be wrecked by tomorrow."  
  
Cindy looked up with a smirk, "Well maybe if you stopped laying the smack-down on all of those black helicopter dudes, and just were content to live your life without taking down Manticore, then you're nails might stand a chance."  
  
Max rolled her eyes for the umpteenth time since Cindy had suggested painting her nails.  
  
"So what? I'm just supposed to forget about taking down the place that tortured me as a child and killed my brothers and sisters in order that my nails can remain perfectly manicured?"  
  
"Damn right."  
  
Cindy stuck the top back on the polish triumphantly, "Now we just wait for these babies to dry, then we'll put on a top coat."  
  
Max sighed and blew on her nails. She had a feeling that this was a no-win situation. She knew that despite everything, her boo just wanted Max to have a little bit of normalcy in her life, and Max wouldn't have it any other way.  
  
Deciding to change the subject to a safer area, Max looked up at Cindy with curiousity, "So where'd you head off to after work today?"  
  
Cindy barely looked up from her work on her own hands, "To my mama's place."  
  
"Your Mom?" Max was a little suprised by Cindy's answer, "You know, I've never met her. I didn't even realize that she lived in Seattle."  
  
Cindy shrugged, "Yup, she lives in Seattle. Over in sector four. I try to stop by every now and then, because I know she likes it when I do. Lord knows that she wouldn't admit it though, seeing as how independant she likes to believe she is."  
  
Max laughed. "Gosh, what a shock", she panned sarcastically.  
  
Cindy looked up at that and laughed too.  
  
"Yeah well, I'm actually more like my father than my mama. Mama's always been crazy, been a real wild child her whole life. My father was more of a bookworm when he was younger, but became more outgoing in later years. That's kinda how it worked with me too."  
  
Max stared at her fingernails, a weird expression forming across her well-made features.  
  
Noticing the change, Cindy looked up at her unusually quiet friend. "What's the matter Sugar? Did Original Cindy say something wrong?"  
  
Max frowned in thought, then looked up at Cindy, flashing her a foggy smile.  
  
"No, it's not that. It's just..."  
  
"What? Is it that you didn't know your parents well enough to say who you're the most like?"  
  
"No, that's just it. I...I didn't know my parents. Actually, I don't even have parents. I only have a mother."  
  
Cindy snorted, "I take it that Manticore didn't put in any sex ed into that military school of theirs, cause everybody's gotta have a father. Even if it's just a donor, he'd still biologically be your father."  
  
Max's eyes seemed thoughtful, "No, I don't. You're forgetting who I am, boo. I'm not biologically related to anybody, really. Well, to nobody and to everybody."  
  
Cindy sighed, clearly lost, "Okay, you're not getting through to me here Sugar. How the hell are you not related to anybody?"  
  
Max looked up with a teasing grin on her face, "And everybody, remember?"  
  
"Max", Cindy growled playfully.  
  
"Okay, okay. I was made in a lab, probably in a petri dish for all I know. My genes were gathered from thousands of hundreds of people, and quite a few that weren't even human. Then, Manticore hired surrogate mothers to carry us through til term. That surrogate is the closest to a parent that I'll ever have, and even then I'm not entirely related to her either."  
  
Cindy stared at Max, incredulous.  
  
"You mean to tell me that you don't have a father?"  
  
Max laughed loudly, "Yes, that is exactly what I've been trying to tell you."  
  
"Wow girl, that's deep shit. So, what was this surrogate mother like?"  
  
Max outwardly cringed at that, "I don't know."  
  
"You don't know?"  
  
Max shook her head, suddenly weary. "No, I don't know. After they gave birth, they sent them back to where they had come from. None of us even knew that such a thing as a mother existed until we made it out here."  
  
Cindy eyes burned now, a mixture of anger and disgust.  
  
"You mean to tell me that those bastards didn't even let you have a parent? On purpose!"  
  
"We were in training to become soldiers, Cindy..."  
  
"I don't care what you were in training for, that's just inhumane."  
  
Max smiled at her best friend gratefully, "Yeah, that's kinda the gist of it. The gist of the whole thing. It was supposed to be inhumane, that way we didn't build up `false' sentimentalities and shit."  
  
Cindy shook her head in disbelief, and Max reached over and gave her hand a squeeze.  
  
"It's okay. I'm out now, that's all that matters."  
  
Cindy smiled softly at her best friends touch. "Thank God for that", she whispered quietly.  
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	3. Inside The Garden

Title: No Greater Love   
  
Author: Amy Lock (aka Sea Angel)   
  
Author's Notes: Sorry it's taken so long to get to Manticore, but you'll have to be patient, cause it'll still be another chapter. Please write me reviews. I'd really looooove some feedback.   
  
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Eve stood quietly, dressed all in black. Her emotions purposely a blank. Standing in the cold October rain, she pulled her coat tighter around her shoulders. The muscles in her jaw flexed involuntarily. Her long, curly brown hair was swept away from her face in a low ponytail, but the Seattle wind had done short work of causing wisps to fly out and into her face. Her pretty features were set in grim denial, a pain in her eyes that many children had not seen by their fourteenth birthdays. But Eve had just realized that pain. Standing in front of the large, rectangular hole that was her grandfather's grave, Eve realized that her life would never be the same again.   
  
Sure, Eve was close to her parents. She loved her father dearly, and spending time with her mother was still considered a privilege by her, even in her early adolescent years. But they didn't know her. Although it would pain her mother deeply to have heard those thoughts, Eve knew it to be true. Her grandfather had been the only soul on the planet that had understood her so thoroughly. He had been the only one to understand her restlessness in life, her desire and need to do something with herself. He had shared the same passion for everything, and had understood her anxieties about the future. He had been able to see into the very cores of her being, and he had accepted that. And now he was gone.   
  
Eve's jaw muscle clenched again, forcing herself to remain in control. She had a maturity beyond her years, and it was the only thing that was keeping her in check that morning. She watched absently as the priest continued with his words. She could hear her mothers quiet anguish behind her, and could see her grandmother's body wracked in sobs beside the casket. Through it all, though, Eve did not fall apart. She had made a vow. Not only to herself, but to her grandfather. She would be tough. She would remember him with joy, and not regret a single thing. She knew that it was how he would have wanted her to react, and so that was what she planned to do. And she had even vowed to take it a step farther. She would live her life like that. She was at a crossroads; it was up to her which direction she would take. And she decided to live her life fully with no regrets.   
  
Unfortunately, later on in her life, Eve would realize that this was the day when it all started to go down hill.   
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Eve shivered. As the cold rain splashed over her, she wondered where in the world that memory had come from. It wasn't usual for her grandfathers funeral to pop into her mind for no reason.   
  
Shrugging the thought off, she hugged her coat tighter to herself. She was only about a block away from Maia's home, but she wished that she was already there. She could use some companionship, and a cup of hot tea wouldn't be too bad either. Ever since she had met Maia at the market that day, memories of her past refused to leave her alone. She wasn't sure what it was, or even if it had to do with Maia at all, but in the last little while, she had been plagued by things she had been hoping to forget. Perhaps it had more to do with the city, then Maia herself. Eve had not returned to Seattle since that fateful day in 1999. And yet, despite everything that had happened, the city had stayed eerily unchanged. Of course, now she was living in sector eight, in a run-down apartment building as opposed to the large, comfortable house of her childhood that still sat in the residential part of sector nine. Other than that, though, the similarities were there, and they were excruciatingly painful to her mind. So much so, that every day, she questioned her move back. Yet every day, the answer remained the same. She had to know.   
  
Eve had now made it to Maia's block, and she hurried up to the door of the small townhouse.   
  
As the doorbell rang, Eve heard tiny footsteps running to the door. As the door opened, Eve smiled to herself, realizing that her ears had been right.   
  
"Well hello, miss Andrea."   
  
Andrea giggled, her blue eyes twinkled and her mouth flashed Eve the missing toothed grin.   
  
"Hello, Eve. Would you like to come in? Mommy's just changing Matt, and then she'll be right down."   
  
"Ah", Eve winked at the little girl as she stepped inside, "I see. Well thank-you very much. I'm glad to get out of the cold."   
  
Andrea just nodded solemnly, "Yes, it is very chilly out. Come on into the kitchen. Mom's already set out the teacups and started the kettle."   
  
Evangeline followed Andrea into the kitchen. A rather unsteady looking high chair was shoved against the wall, the linoleum was cracking, and the kettle was whistling loudly. It was the picture of home comfort. Eve noticed three cups sitting on mismatched saucers on the table, and she smiled down at Andrea who was watching her intently.   
  
"It looks to me like you're going to be joining your mother and I for tea, little missus."   
  
"Well, that was what I was hoping. But mommy said that it was up to you, and that I wasn't supposed to ask."   
  
Andrea's eyes were large and innocent, not realizing that she had done just that.   
  
Eve laughed aloud. "Of course it's all right, munchkin. That's why I came over here, instead of your mommy visiting me."   
  
Andrea's face brook into a radiant grin. "Oh, thank-you. I'm gonna go tell Mommy!"   
  
Eve chuckled softly as she watched Andrea bolt up the stairs.   
  
'Oh, to have a child's enthusiasm again', she thought to herself, as she unplugged the noisy tea kettle, and poured the water into the chipped brown teapot. What she wouldn't give to have that sort of simplicity back in her life. The kind where worrying about whether or not you were invited to a tea party was crucial. She'd even rather have the worries of money if it only meant that things could go back to the way they were before.   
  
"Hello Eve."   
  
Eve turned at the familiar sound of Maia's melodic voice. Even with the bags underneath her eyes, and strains of exhaustion in her voice, Maia always had an air of beauty surrounding her that Eve marveled at.   
  
Eve smiled at Maia, and reached for Matt. Maia gladly let Eve take the baby, and returned the smile.   
  
"Careful. He's teething something mad. I don't think I got more than three hours sleep last night, and that's even with Alex's help."   
  
Eve laughed and sat down with Matt in her lap.   
  
"No problem. It's a joy to be able to cuddle with a baby. Even a teething one."   
  
Maia's eyes crinkled in a smile at the honesty behind her friends words. Happily, she helped Andrea into her seat, and poured her a cup of the tea. In actuality, Andrea hated the stuff, but as soon as Eve had started coming around for a visit, the little girl had determinedly forced it down. As it was, though, she could only manage to drink it if it was incredibly weak. Still, she refused to have juice, for Eve was not having juice, and therefore it wasn't as good. Maia always found it contentedly humorous the way Andrea idolized Eve.   
  
"Yes, well, I'm glad you think so. You can keep him, if you'd really like."   
  
Eve laughed as Matt pulled on her hair, "Thanks, but I think you might miss him after a while."   
  
"Yeah, maybe. After a long while." Maia said jokingly, stressing the 'long'.   
  
Eve and Maia settled into comfortable conversation, with Eve paying doting attention to Andrea's comments. This was about the fourth time the two women had gotten together, and they were enjoying each others company immensely. Eve had learned that Maia was only twenty nine years old, and that she had been married only two years before Andrea had been born. Her husband, Alex worked as a doctor at metro medical. Maia had noticed the quick change in expression on Eve's face when she had mentioned Alex's occupation, but decided not to pay too much attention to it. She told Eve that she had been a secretary at one of the offices in sector nine before Matt was born, and was hoping to get back to work as soon as the kids were old enough. In turn, Eve had provided her with a few details about herself; her job, her funny day-to-day anecdotes, and even occasionally, a story about her early childhood in Seattle. Maia had become aware, however, that Eve had never told her anything about her years past the age of nine leading up to her return to Seattle. Every time Maia tried to broach the subject, Eve artfully changed the topic. She did this so well, that Maia rarely noticed that her questions had gone unanswered, until Eve had returned home.   
  
Still, there were times when Maia was sure that her friend was about to open up. Usually, this occurred when they were talking about Maia's children. In particular, Andrea. Although Maia knew that their was a connection between the two, she also knew that there was something else going on. When Maia would mention a story of Andrea's toddler days, Eve's eyes would take on a faraway glow. And somewhere in that glow, Maia would always see the same torturous pain that would cut her to the core. But, as soon as Maia tried to steer the conversation in that direction, it would inevitably be turned right back around.   
  
About an hour into their conversation, Andrea was getting noticeably restless. Although she adored Eve, she was only five years old, and listening to adults talk for an hour was driving her up the wall.   
  
"Honey, are you finished your tea?"   
  
Andrea looked at her mother and nodded.   
  
"All right then, would you mind if Eve and I talked a bit by ourselves. I have some things I want to discuss with her, and I know that you've been wanting to play with that new doll that grandma sent you."   
  
Andrea smiled with delight. Then, with a brief description of the doll for Eve's benefit, she was away from the table and up the stairs in a flash. Matt had long since been put in his crib for a nap, and so it was just the two women left at the table.   
  
"Wow. Peace and quiet. That's a rare treasure in this household." Maia said jokingly as she took a sip of her tea.   
  
Eve chuckled, "Yes, but you're lucky."   
  
"I know." Maia nodded solemnly and took a big breath. "And actually, we're going to be even more lucky. In about eight months or so..."   
  
Eve put her cup down with wide eyes, "You're pregnant?"   
  
Maia smiled softly, "Yup. The doctor confirmed it today, though I've had my suspicions for a week or so now."   
  
Eve's face split into a giant grin and she reached out to give her friend's hand a squeeze.   
  
"Maia, that's awesome. I'm so happy for you."   
  
Maia returned the squeeze and brought her hand back to wipe a piece of stray hair out of her eyes.   
  
"Yeah well, we're happy about it too, that's for sure. It means postponing my return to my job for another few years, but I think I'm willing to do that."   
  
Eve smiled compassionately, "Well, if you ever get tired of baby talk, you know who to call."   
  
"Thanks. We were, um, trying to think of names. I know it's early, but we always like to be ready ahead of time."   
  
Eve laughed at the understatement as Maia continued.   
  
"We figure that if it's a boy we're gonna name him Jeffery."   
  
Maia looked down at the table, willing herself the courage to continue.   
  
"We couldn't seem to agree on a girls name though. Then Alex remembered me telling him about the day that we first met, and how you said that you're favorite name was Eden."   
  
Maia watched as her friend straightened instinctively, and hurried to continue.   
  
"He said that that would be a good name. But I told him no."   
  
Maia looked at her friend, gauging her reaction. She had relaxed somewhat from the last comment, but Maia knew that that would change as soon as she finished her line of thought. Nevertheless, she had to do it anyway.   
  
"I said that it wouldn't be fair because...because you deserved to have the name belong only to your own little girl."   
  
Eve couldn't believe what she was hearing. How did...where did that come from? She closed her eyes momentarily, willing herself to stay in control.   
  
Opening her eyes, she met her friends intense gaze. "Maia, you don't know what you're talking about. I told you that it was my favorite name. I never told you that I named a child that, much less a child of my own."   
  
Maia nodded solemnly, "I know that Eve. But I also know you. I have watched you these last few weeks, and I've come to that conclusion on my own. You didn't have to tell me. I could see it in your eyes."   
  
Eve could feel her body trembling, but Maia just continued.   
  
"Now I don't know what happened, Eve. But I do know that you once had a little girl of your own. And I can tell whatever happened...that it's killing you inside."   
  
Eve closed her eyes again, but she knew this time that it wouldn't help. She faintly felt Maia reach over and touch her lightly on the arm. She could also hear the concern in her voice as she spoke again.   
  
"What is it, Eve? You can tell me."   
  
At this, Eve made a split second decision. She knew her friend was sincere, she knew the relief it would present to tell somebody her hell; but she also knew what had happened. And with that thought, her mind was made up.   
  
"I have to go."   
  
Eve was out the door and down the street by the time the tears had caught up with her. Collapsing to the gravel in the middle of the empty rain, she let herself give in to the need to cry. 


	4. Manticore

Title: No Greater Love   
  
Author: Amy Lock (aka. Sky Angel)   
  
Author's Notes: Okay, first off; I just found out that there is another fic called by the same title. And it's even another DA fic to boot! Sorry about that, I didn't know, and there was no copying intended. At least the stories are nothing alike, so that's good.   
  
The 1 added in front of the number (ie. 1-599) just means that this woman is the mother of that X5. So 1-599 would be the mother of Zack. Since they wouldn't have named them what they are now, I needed to find another way of telling you guys who gave birth to whom. So there it is. For the ones that we don't know their number, next chapter I'll make up a list and post it before, so that you can know.   
  
One more thing. I figure that Manticore would not be totally truthful in telling these women why they need their help. I mean, most women would most likely not sign up for having a child, then letting that child get taken away to get beaten into a soldier, no matter how much money was offered. Therefore, in this story, the women do not know the entire truth of what Manticore really is. Secondly, the place where the women would stay, would not be like the barracks at all, because the gig would be up if the women figured that their children were going to be thrown into cold metal rooms on cold metal cots. So, that is why their living quarters are so much more cozy than that of their children.   
  
Please, please, please write feedback! If you want, you can email me at dublinflower@hotmail.com with comments or suggestions. Once again, please be a little gentle. It is only my second fic.   
  
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September, 1999   
________________________________________________________________________   
  
"Welcome to Manticore."   
  
Eve smiled sweetly at the kind young soldier carrying her bags. She wasn't sure of the last time that a stranger had been quite so polite and courteous towards her. Although, that wasn't necessarily all the fault of the strangers. Ever since her parents had died three years earlier, Eve had become more and more rebellious. She wasn't exactly sure why, but all she knew was that she wasn't afraid anymore. Not like she used to be. She wondered if it might have something to do with the fact that she had gone to live with her grandmother for her last high school year. She had had to leave behind friends and familiar places to travel to her grandmothers home in Wyoming, where she graduated with a group of unfamiliar faces and strict rules. She had always had the rebellious streak in her. She had guessed early on in life that she had inherited it from her mothers side of the family; her grandfather was a real hell-raiser in his day. But, somehow, the year long stay with her overly-sympathetic grandmother had seemed to color the streak to a glaringly obvious sheen.   
  
"I'll lead you to where you'll be staying for the next year or so, and then you can have a little time to meet the others and get your stuff together."   
  
The soldier continued down a long whitish corridor. It was an inviting and pleasant enough of a place, but Eve felt a slight pang of fear as she glanced around at her new surroundings. Brushing it aside, she hurried to stay in step with the soldier. Polite as he may be, he had not been trained to slow down his pace for anyone.   
  
"Thank-you."   
  
The soldier smiled lightly at Eve, and Eve's earlier pang dissipated slowly. It was soon replaced by an intense curiosity.   
  
"So...you said the 'others'. How many women are involved in this program?"   
  
"About thirty eight women altogether. Originally it was only intended for a maximum number of twenty four women to participate, but the program has gone extremely well, and so it has been continued."   
  
Eve nodded as the soldier went on.   
  
"You are the last, though."   
  
Eve's head shot up at this offered information. "The last?"   
  
"Yes. There will be no more women recruited."   
  
Eve nodded slightly. "Why?"   
  
"They've decided to stop the X5 project now."   
  
Eve couldn't help but notice how all of the soldier's answers only replied to the bare minimum of what her inquiry was truly asking. She shrugged it off as one of those military training things. Besides, from what she could gather, Manticore was a rather undercover type exercise for the government, though she had no idea why. Although she convinced herself of this, she made a point of storing the fact in her memory.   
  
"Here we are."   
  
The soldier had stopped at a large painted wooden door with 1-X5 printed in big letters across it. Just as the soldier reached out to turn the handle, Eve placed a hand on his forearm.   
  
"Wait. I didn't get your name."   
  
"Maguire. Chris Maguire."   
  
Eve nodded, the corners of her eyes crinkling up into a smile.   
  
"My name's Eve."   
  
Chris's eyes took on a sad glow as he smiled softly at her.   
  
"I know." He replied, indicating the name tag that she wore around her neck.   
  
Eve blushed slightly. "Oops." She giggled and then smiled up at him again. "Well, thanks for everything."   
  
Chris nodded briskly, and then turned to leave. But before he could walk away, he turned back around.   
  
"Use that name while you can, Eve. They don't take too kindly to names in this place."   
  
Then with that simple piece of advice, he walked away before she even had a chance to ask him what he meant.   
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Eve sucked in a big breath. She was still standing outside the room marked 1-X5, trying to gain the courage to enter. She had been standing there since the soldier, Chris, had left fifteen minutes earlier. She could hear noises coming from inside; the soft chatter of women's voices, the occasional giggle or squeal of laughter, and the faint melody of a popular song. It was somewhat surreal, like she had felt the day she first moved into her dorm room on her university campus. A year. She was going to be staying here a year. No wonder she felt so apprehensive! What kind of women was she going to meet? What kind of woman offered her body and feelings in place of...well, whatever they hoped to find here? Hell, she wasn't even sure why she was there. At the time, it had seemed to be the answer to her problems, and it seemed a good answer. She would be offering herself for the good of society.   
  
So then, why didn't she want to enter her room?   
  
Taking another deep breath, Eve held her head up high and reached for the door knob. She had been in more emotionally demanding situations than this. She could do it.   
  
Eve wasn't sure what she had expected to see, but it certainly wasn't this. She found herself inside a large, white room. In the far end of the room sat a majestic, black, grand piano. A young woman with dark, raven black hair sat playing the keys with greatly adept fingers. Standing beside her was another young woman. This one was facing in Eve's direction, so she got a much better view of her. Eve guessed that the woman would have been about eighteen. She had long silky red hair, and huge blue eyes that were full of excitement and innocence. She was singing a song that Eve knew well. It was "Open Arms", the Mariah Carrey rendition.   
  
To the left of Eve sat a fireplace, two couches, a love seat and a reclining chair. Two women were playing chess on the coffee table, one was asleep on the chair and three more were reading magazines on the couches.   
  
To Eve's right, was another living area, only this one had a large table in the centre, where one girl was painting an extraordinary picture. There were more recliners in this room, as well as a tiny fridge in the corner. She noticed two women talking by the fridge, both drinking cups full of milk and eating apples. Still more women were wandering around, many heading back and forth through a long, brightly-lit corridor. Eve couldn't help but notice all the doors in the corridor, and she quickly surmised that they were the bedrooms. She also noticed that every door had a strange series of numbers on it.   
  
The most striking realization, however, was also the most noticeable one: every woman in the room was in a varying stage of pregnancy.   
  
"Excuse me?"   
  
Eve felt a tap on her shoulder and she whirled around, alert. Standing beside her, with a sweet and surprised grin, was the red-headed girl.   
  
"Wow, good reflexes. I'm Mandy. Are you the new girl?"   
  
Eve relaxed, and took Mandy's hand with a smile.   
  
"Yup, that'd be me. My name's Evangeline."   
  
Mandy's crystal blue eyes shone, "That's a beautiful name."   
  
"Thanks. I'd prefer it if you called me Eve, though. Not very many people call me by my full name."   
  
Mandy nodded knowingly, "Yeah, my full name's Amanda. But when I was younger, people told me that it didn't really suit me, and so everybody took to calling me Mandy."   
  
Eve grinned wholeheartedly, relief shining through her face. Already she adored this girl. She had such a whimsical way about her; like a fairy or a sprite. Her whole self shone with a childish exuberance and yet, a mature knowledge. Eve also noticed that Mandy wasn't showing.   
  
Noticing Eve's line of vision, Mandy put a hand on her stomach and beamed.   
  
"I'm two days along now. It's a little girl."   
  
Eve stared at Mandy, before chuckling. "Oh really?"   
  
Mandy nodded, "Yes. I know what you're thinking, but when you're here, they can tell you if it's a boy or girl from day one."   
  
Eve pondered this for a moment, then winked at Mandy. "Obviously."   
  
"Hey! I'm day two!" Mandy feigned a hurt expression, and then laughed. "Come on, I should take you to Kelly. She's been waiting a while for you."   
  
Mandy grabbed Eve's hand and started directing her in and out of the women. As they walked, Mandy tried to hurriedly introduce Eve to a couple of them.   
  
"That's Brenna over there, she's the one playing the piano. She's got an amazing talent for music. She can compose a symphony in the time that it takes for a person to finish a quiz in school. And that one over there, that's Kate. She's pretty much got a higher IQ than all the rest of us put together. The one with the dark, curly ringlets...yup, the one sleeping on the couch...that's Leona. She's a fireball, a fighter. Immigrated over here from Scotland when she was only four. She's something else. But if you stay off of her toes for the first few days, you'll learn that she's really just a marshmallow."   
  
Eve was getting dizzy from the flurried introductions, but she was immensely enjoying Mandy's short tales of everyone.   
  
"This right here," Mandy pointed to a room as she continued down the hall, "this is Anna's room. She's the most charming creature I've ever met. Just got a way about her, you'll see what I mean when you meet her."   
  
Mandy came to a stop, and Eve looked at her with large eyes.   
  
"Does everybody in this place have a distinctive feature to them?"   
  
Mandy shrugged, "Nah, it's just that it's easier for me to remember everybody when there's something to remember them by. I mean, like me. I don't think I have a really different characteristic..."   
  
"You sing like an angel."   
  
Blushing furiously, Mandy grinned an honored smile, "Thanks so much."   
  
Eve smiled back, and for a moment, the two did nothing but enjoy the others company. Then, Mandy remembered the task at hand.   
  
"Well," she chirped happily, "This is Kelly's room."   
  
Eve looked at the door. It was the same as all of the others; plain, white and unchipped paint, with big black numbers across it. The numbers read: 1-599.   
  
Mandy knocked on the door. Promptly, the door was opened, and Kelly stood in the doorway. She was beautiful. Long sandy blond hair cropped off just below her jawbone, perfect, tiny features were arranged symmetrically on her face and her eyes were a bluish-gray tint of happiness, guilt and duty. She was older than the two who stood in front of her, looking to be about twenty three years old, but with an air that suggested she had been through ten times the experiences allotted to her age.   
  
"So, you're the new one."   
  
Eve nodded, suddenly solemn. "Yeah."   
  
Kelly smiled a little. "The last one."   
  
Eve nodded again. "Yes."   
  
This time Kelly's face broke into a large, lopsided grin (the only non-symmetrical part to her face).   
  
"All right then. Let's get this tour started."   
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Later on that night, after settling into her new surroundings, Eve lay wide awake in her bed. No matter what she tried, she could not sleep. She wasn't sure why. The mattress was top quality, the noise was no more, and she was exhasted from her travels. Still, sleep would not come, and so she lay silently, pondering things that she would have rather left un-thought of.   
  
A slight knock on the door proved to be a welcome distraction from her lonliness, and she slipped quietly to the door, opening it a crack.   
  
"Hi. I came to see how you were doing."   
  
Mandy stood at the door, her combed red hair over one shoulder. She shuffled back and forth from foot to foot out of cold and nervousness.   
  
"Can I come in? If they catch me out here past curfew, they're not going to be too happy with me. Then I'll get the huge lecture about how we need to get rest for our babies sake and on and on and on."   
  
Eve grinned, and then motioned for Mandy to enter.   
  
Mandy made it to Eve's bed in one quick stride, hopping underneath a blanket as soon as she reached it.   
  
"Thanks."   
  
Eve smiled, "No problem. Actually, I should be thanking you. I needed some company."   
  
"I kinda figured you would."   
  
Silence resumed, but this time it was much more bearable.   
  
"You're head over heels, aren't you?"   
  
Mandy's comment shook Eve from her comfortable state.   
  
"Excuse me?"   
  
"You're in love, right?"   
  
Eve stared at her in awe. "How did you...?"   
  
Mandy smiled, "The picture."   
  
Eve turned to where Mandy was pointing and a faint blush crept to her cheeks.   
  
"Funny how a little thing like that could tip me off, hey?" Mandy continued, "I mean, there's no rule that says we can't have personal belongings from the 'outside world', but these girls just seem to want to forget they have a past. The strange thing is, it feels like you do too. That's why I figure that he must mean something special to you."   
  
Eve nodded, still shocked at how easily Mandy had read her.   
  
The silence continued until Mandy couldn't take it anymore.   
  
"Head over heels, huh?" Mandy said this gently, not wanting to push. She was almost shocked when Eve finally answered with a barely audible, 'yes'.   
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	5. Why?

Title: No Greater Love  
  
Author: Amy  
  
A/N: Okay, like I promised, here's a list of most of the X-5's who's mothers will be appearing in this story. Some of them we know: we know the names of nine of the ones that successfully escaped, and four of the ones that didn't. I made up the last three of the escapees, and some more of the ones who either didn't make it to the 'outside', or who chose to stay behind. Also, there was a limit to how many barcode numbers we know. So far, for sure we know Max, Zack, Tinga, Ben, Alec and Brin. For Jondy and Zane, I watched the part in 'Kidz', where Eyes Only broadcasted the barcodes on TV. I caught two of them, and so I used them for Jondy and Zane. These aren't for sure their barcodes, but they could be.  
  
Escaped in '01  
  
Max-Eve- X5-452  
Jondy-Mandy- X5-471  
Zack-Kelly- X5-599  
Tinga-Lokelani (Lani)- X5-656  
Zane-Brenna- X5-205  
Krit-Kate- X5-489  
Syl-Cara- X5-533  
Brin-Megan- X5-734  
Ben/Alec-Anna- X5-493/ X5-494  
Micah-Leona- X5-212  
Satchel-Callie- X5-210  
Elan-Sarah- X5-615  
  
Didn't Escape in '01  
  
Eva-Paris- X5-330  
Jack-Alecia- X5-744  
Jace-Mara- X5-591  
Luka-Jill- X5-387  
Asia-Maggie- X5-392  
Gabriel-Emily- X5-787  
Reece-Cassandra(Cassie)- X5-682  
  
I made up all the new names on my own with the exception of Micah. Micah does not belong to me, he belongs to Limona, one of my favorite fanfic authors on this site. I just can't get it out of my head that one of the X-5's was named Micah after reading her story, and so I put him in as Leona's son.  
  
PS. Zanna, I'll explain next chapter about the thing that is 'perturbing' you. I was gonna do it now, but this intro.'s a little long winded. It all works out though, and I did alter a couple things, but on whole, I tried to keep things as true to what Hannah said as possible.   
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Eve had lain in bed that night, feeling his arms wrapped protectively around her. She let the tears well up in her eyes and fall down her cheek, not noticing. She wasn't sure how it had gotten this far, but she knew that there was to be no turning back if he woke with her still in his arms. She knew what she had to do, she just wasn't sure if she was strong enough to carry through with it.  
  
But it was too risky. He was a police officer, part of the special ops team. He didn't care about his life or what happened to him. She did, though, and it was there that the problem lay. He had become part of her soul, something that was getting harder and harder to run from. And with every passing day, she was learning that it was something she didn't want to run from.  
  
Maybe if he was an accountant, maybe if he was a school teacher. Maybe then. But not now. Sooner or later he would trip up; the people he was up against were far too intelligent in their work to let a rookie cop get in their way. He was a piece of her now, and if something were to happen, she'd have another piece of her ripped out. She couldn't handle that, it had happened too much already. Still, he loved his job, loved knowing that he was making the world a better place, and he wouldn't give it up for anything. She didn't even think that he would give it up for her. His life he would give up in a heartbeat, but not his job. She couldn't protect him, and so she couldn't protect herself. That was why she had to leave.  
  
She had just needed a place to go, a reason for her conscience to feel justified on the lonely nights that she knew were ahead of her. She had found it on her brothers computer one day. Micheal worked at Metro Medical, and she had gone to visit him. He had been out in a meeting, so she decided to wait in his office. That was when she saw it. It was a letter, asking Micheal to join a team of elite doctors at something called 'Project Manticore'; a military base in Wyoming where he would be put to work for the betterment of society, helping to find cures for various ailments through genetic research. The letter was pretty vague, but it said that Micheal would be working with the surrogate mothers, the ones who would be carrying babies to term. Miracle babies, born with resistance to the ailments. If the babies truly did have resistance, then the doctors would know that their research had worked, and thousands of lives would be saved.  
  
Eve had found her heart's reconciliation, she had found an excuse to leave the fear of love. She had found her haven.  
  
That was why she untangled herself from the arms of the man that she had fallen for against her will and prepared to leave him behind.  
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"Hey Kelly."  
  
Eve smiled up as Kelly entered the living room where Eve was sitting in the centre of a group of new friends. Eve had been wanting to talk to Kelly for a long time, but hadn't seen her around anywhere. She knew that it came with the territory. Kelly wasn't pregnant anymore, she had had her child more than two years earlier. A little boy with soft blond hair and big blue eyes, or so Kelly had said. Actually, Eve wasn't exactly sure why Kelly was still in Manticore. She did know that Kelly was in the military, and that she was looking after the "X-5" operation somewhat, but other than that, Eve did not know much about Kelly's job. For some reason, it was a subject that was expertly avoided.  
  
Still, Eve had grown to admire Kelly deeply. Next to Mandy there was no one else that Eve would rather go to for something, be it help or just friendly banter.  
  
Kelly smiled at Eve as she approached the group. Against her better judgment, she had found herself growing attached to the younger girl as well.  
  
"Guess what!?!" Mandy exploded at Kelly before Eve had a chance to speak.  
  
Kelly laughed at Mandy's exuberance, "What?"  
  
"Eve's pregnant!"  
  
Kelly switched her intense gaze to Eve, who nodded in agreement.  
  
"I wanted to tell you earlier, but I couldn't find you."  
  
Kelly smiled softly, "I was out. Congratulations."  
  
"Thank-you."  
  
"So, how far along are you?"  
  
Eve furrowed her brow slightly, "Five days, but I only found out this morning." Eve almost outwardly flinched at the lie. In actuality she had found out the previous evening, but had simply not wanted to discuss it with anyone, not even Mandy. Instead, she had gone to her room and cried herself to sleep.  
  
Kelly nodded reassuringly, "Precautions. Sometimes they can tell you everything you need to know the very day, like Mandy, but sometimes they need a little bit longer. It's normal."  
  
Eve breathed a sigh of relief as Kelly took a seat on the floor beside Mandy and across from her.  
  
"So, is it a boy or a girl?"  
  
Eve giggled at the absurdity of the question when she was only five days along, just as she had done to Mandy.  
  
"A girl."  
  
Kelly's face lightened as she allowed herself another smile in Eve's direction.  
  
Megan, a young oriental girl, looked up with an eager grin. "Eve, you need to think of a nickname for her."  
  
Eve looked up in confusion, "A nickname?"  
  
"We're not allowed to name them." Mandy frowned in response. "They don't want us to become more attached than necessary. We're supposed to strictly refer to them as their number, but I think that's ridiculous. So does everybody else, so it's become a sort of tradition to give them nicknames. Just be sure that they don't hear you calling them by it." Mandy stopped for a moment, her face breaking into a radiant beam. "I call this little one Pooh Bear."  
  
Eve giggled, "But I don't have a nickname for her."  
  
Sarah laughingly rolled her eyes, "Well we're not going to let you go around and call that poor little girl '452' for the next nine months, so you better think of one pretty fast."  
  
"That's right", Emily said, joining in, "Or else we'll make one up for you."  
  
Eve sat for a moment in contemplative silence before speaking.  
  
"Well, it's not really a nickname," she said thoughtfully, "But, I've always wanted to name my little girl 'Eden'."  
  
Kelly felt sick to her stomach. Eden; the place where all creation began. The irony seemed almost too much to handle. The other girls were oblivious, however, and kept up the contented conversation.  
  
Mandy grinned, "Good enough for us. Actually that's really beautiful. Much better than '452', that's for sure."  
  
"And I'll even admit that, ah...Pooh Bear, is better than '471'."  
  
Eve's eyes twinkled with mischief as Mandy laughed in a feeble protest.  
  
"Hey, it's what my father used to call me!"  
  
"What did you call your little boy, Kelly?" Callista asked, from her seat in the corner of the couch. Callie was the youngest in the group, only fifteen years of age. Although she had lied to get in, all the girls knew the truth. She, too, was having a little boy, and always longed to hear of Kelly's stories to calm her nerves.  
  
Kelly looked up somewhat surprised, and extremely uneasy, "Actually, I just called him 'mon amore'. I didn't really think of it as a nickname, but I guess it was. I was the first one here, and so I would talk to him, to try and combat the loneliness."  
  
Ardelle looked up and grinned, "Yes, I call this little one, Cherie. I didn't know that you spoke French, Kelly?"  
  
Kelly smiled up at Ardelle, "I don't, at least not really, so don't expect any extremely intelligent conversations to be happening between us 'en francais'. I just took a couple of courses in school, that's all."  
  
Sarah looked at Kelly with eager interest, "So you mean, you were all by yourself here for a while?"  
  
Kelly nodded hesitantly, "I guess you could say that. At least, I was the only surrogate for about a month or so. Then Lani came."  
  
"Is she the one on the wall? The one in the picture beside yours?"  
  
Kelly glanced up at the framed surrogates on the wall and nodded, "Yup, that's Lani. She was a great girl. Lives in Hawaii. Her real name is Lokelani, but she much preferred to be called Lani. Shortly after she came, Paris joined us. For a while, it was just the three of us, but then Jill came, then Maggie, then Cara and Anna and pretty soon, this place was chalk full of women who were from all over the country, from every different background, religion and belief system, and we were all pretty much in the same boat. Still, it was hard to say good-bye to Lani and Paris. I got used to it, though. And now, we're on the last stretch."  
  
Callie shook her head, her young eyes large, "Nine months. Nine months, and it'll all be done."  
  
The other girls nodded as well, but the subdued atmosphere soon lifted, and the jovial banter quickly became its replacement. Somewhere in the midst of it, Kelly excused herself to her room. Nine months. After almost two and a half years, she would only be in this room nine more months. And then she would be done. But even as Callie's statement rang in her ears, Kelly knew better. It wouldn't be all done in nine months, it would never be all done. The girls would go home, yes. Some might even manage to put this all behind them, but Kelly knew that for some people, the horrors would never end. For their children, it would not all be done in nine months. For their children, nine months only marked the beginning.  
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The next month passed quickly, and before Eve knew it, Thanksgiving was upon them. Many of her new found friends were gone, their babies born and healthy, and the number of surrogates who were still residing in Manticore was dwindling. Shortly after Eve had found out about her own pregnancy, Mara had gone into labor. Seven hours later, Manticore had itself a new little baby girl, X5-591, 6 pounds 11 ounces. After the delivery, Eve had only seen Mara for a short few minutes as she had said her good-byes to her friends. Eve noticed that Mara had looked exhausted, her normally straight black hair was slicked back into a frizzy pony-tail, and her large brown eyes seemed infinitely tired. After Mara, Leona had her baby. A little boy with a large amount of curly brown hair, much like her own. A couple days after X5-212 was born, the same scene repeated itself, with Callie sobbing softly by the door. Leona and Callie had become quite close, with Leona taking the younger girl under her wing. But Callie still had a good month and a half before she delivered, and so it was with saddened eyes that she watched her new friend leave.  
  
Thanksgiving only seemed to be heightening everyone's loneliness. Some of the girls came from wonderful homes, where they spent the holiday with relatives and great fanfare. Others had never experienced a Thanksgiving before, and were extremely interested in the other girls' stories. Pictures were drawn out for the first time of nieces and nephews, brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers, and even some of old boyfriends. Sisterly chatter struck up with the comparisons of funny family tales, heartbreaking pains or romantic deeds of the old beaus. Tight knit bonds were formed, in particular for the women who realized that they would be spending Christmas in a similar fashion. Eventually, the women's homesickness turned into a fierce adoration of their peers, and a Thanksgiving supper like no other was planned. On special request, a large turkey was brought in to be prepared, and cranberry jelly, salads and desserts ran amuck. Every woman began to help out for the community event. And finally, the day arrived.  
  
The air was tight with excitement as Eve stepped out of her room. She could smell the turkey cooking in the stove, and her eyes delighted in the decorations that filled the room. Orange and yellow streamers hung to the ceilings, cheap paper pilgrims were on every surface, and a large pastel turkey sat on the coffee table in the living room. Eve smiled as she saw the soldier, Chris, enter the room bringing in plates full of cooking supplies for the women busy at work. Chris nodded in return, but his eyes danced at the sight of the girls enjoying themselves.  
  
"Eve!" Mandy hollered from her place in the kitchen. She was standing beside Alecia, who was hard at work on a salad, and Megan who seemed rather exasperated at how much dough Mandy was stealing from her cookies. Eve noticed Callie, blue eyes wide, sitting beside Cassandra. The two had become quite the pair since Leona's departure, though Eve had often seen Callie glance at the door marked 1-212 with melancholy eyes. Eve smiled as she watched the scene. Cassie was trying to teach Callie how to roll out a pie crust. The younger girl watched with intent fascination, but refused to attempt to help for fear of messing up. Instead, she was content to listen to Cassie talk about baking pies with her mother. Cassie was a relatively new edition to the Manticore family, having joined them shortly before Mandy, but she was well liked by everyone. She had an unmistakable homey feel to her that made many of the women look to her as a sort of mother-figure despite her stance of only eighteen years of age.  
  
"Hey Eve!"  
  
Mandy repeated herself as she jogged over to Eves side, licking her fingers which were covered in chocolate chip cookie dough. Her blue eyes twinkled with excitement, and Eve was once again struck with how nymph-like she really was.  
  
"Isn't this incredible? Who'd a thunk it?" Mandy giggled impishly, and bit at her thumb, which had a sticky chocolate chip stuck to it.  
  
Eve laughed, "Is that good?"  
  
"Amazing. It reminds me of the cookies that my Mom used to make. Megan must have the same recipe."  
  
"Well save some for the rest of us who've never tried that recipe, then. If you keep eating it all, there won't be enough to even cook a pan full."  
  
Mandy grinned and patted her still-flat stomach, "Yeah, well, I figure that if I eat a lot, then maybe I'll start showing."  
  
"Showing what? Gaining weight doesn't necessarily mean that the babies growing any faster."  
  
Mandy laughed and pouted her lip, "I know, but it's just that she's taking forever to grow. I don't even look pregnant!"  
  
"Be grateful for that. At least this way you know that you won't have to lose a whole bunch of weight when you go back home."  
  
At Mandy's continued sulk, Eve pointed out, "It'll would mean less questions."  
  
Mandy shrugged, back to her cheerful old self, "I guess."  
  
Smiling, Eve rolled her eyes and started towards the kitchen to help out. Spotting two soldiers bringing in an enormous table, Eve took some plates out of the cupboard and handed them to Mandy.  
  
"Here, take these. We'll go set the table."  
  
When the table was set and the food was cooked, Kelly lit a few candles, and the women began their meal. Soon, the room was filled with the melodic sounds of laughter and conversation mingling into a soft, jovial noise. As each woman ate, they talked to their neighbor about past Thanksgivings, and yelled teasing comments across the table to the others. Dinner continued this way until the candles were pretty much at the end of their wicks, and the girls were stuffed to the brim. (Not an easy feat to accomplish when you have about a dozen pregnant women.) After taking a rather informal vote, it was decided upon that dessert would wait for about an hour or so. With that, the girls made their way to the living room, where each preceded to lounge in their typical spots.  
  
After a small, contented silence, Cassandra spoke up.  
  
"You know, back home we would all get together and have our meal. And then after, we'd all say something that we were grateful for." Cassie stopped and blushed at everyone looking at her, "But that's just a suggestion."  
  
Kate nodded eagerly, hugging her knees to her chest. "no, that's a good idea. I think we should do that. I mean, seeing as we're all here, together. It might be nice. You go first, Cassie."  
  
Cassandra looked around hesitantly, but at the encouraging nods, she began to speak.  
  
"Well, I guess that I'm grateful for all of this, for getting a chance to be a part of it all. My grandmother died a year ago, but before that she had alzeimers...I don't know...it's just that the disease was hard. She couldn't remember any of us, not even my Grandfather. It was awful for him, he was so in love with her, and she didn't even recognize his face. He'd always bring over pictures of their wedding day, or of their children...but she didn't understand. I always wished their was some way that I could help them, but I never dreamed it was possible. I never dreamed that my own daughter could possibly be that wish come true. So that's what I'm thankful for. I'm thankful that maybe, just maybe because of this little girl, others won't have to go through what Grandpa did."  
  
Eve smiled softly at Cassie's grateful declaration. Her grandfather was Eve's soft spot as well, and so she related with her statement.  
  
Kate sighed sadly, and squeezed Cassie's arm in a show of compassion. "Okay, I guess it's my turn. When I came here I didn't know what to expect. It was just an opportunity, you know? One where I could help out my country and get enough money to start me on a new life. I knew it would be hard, but what I didn't know was that I wouldn't go through it alone. I'm glad I have you guys."  
  
Kate looked at Brenna, who smiled in return.  
  
"I'm glad that in two months I get to go home and see my dogs." She giggled at her strange statement, then continued, "I'm also glad for mostly the same things as Kate. It's gonna be hard to say good-bye to this little guy, and I'm just glad that I don't have to do it alone."  
  
Everyone turned to look at Kelly expectantly. Her gaze still directed at the ground, Kelly whispered her thanks.  
  
"I'm glad it's almost over."  
  
Eve bit her lip at Kelly's statement. She could feel the torment that the woman kept inside of her, she had sensed it the moment she had arrived. But this was the first time that she had said anything negative about Manticore out loud.  
  
Megan, who was seated beside Kelly, looked at her with sympathetic eyes.  
  
"You've been here a long time. I'd be grateful to leave too."  
  
Kelly looked up at Megan then, her jaw clenched in an attempt to stop the tears that crowded her eyes from falling. She managed a close-mouthed smile before nodding slightly. To leave. What a concept. There was nothing in the world that Kelly yearned for more, but she knew that the possibility was hopeless. She would never entirely leave this place.  
  
Kelly glanced up again, and was startled to see that both Megan and Emily had finished their 'thanks'. Next up was Callista.  
  
Callista, who had been sitting quietly with her arms wrapped around her torso, took a deep, calming breath.  
  
"I'm glad I'm safe."  
  
Many of the women's heads snapped up at this comment. Full attention was on Callie as she continued.  
  
"My biological father died when I was just a toddler. My mom remarried not too long after that. She was grieving, and my father's insurance didn't cover much. It was a combination of a marriage of convenience and one of blind love. I don't even remember my Dad. I mean, I've seen pictures, but...every now and then Mom would tell me stories of him. Whenever Paul hit her good. He looked like me, or so she said. She said that I have his eyes and his complexion and his sense of humor. She also said that I had his sense of wonderment. Everything was unique and exciting to him. He was an artist. It didn't make us much money, but it made him so happy, and so it made Mom happy. When I was born, he took a job at a factory out of town. He tried to make it home every night, but sometimes in the winter he would have to wait out a storm. He never really wanted to, but Mom made him. All he wanted to do was come home to us. Then on my first birthday, there was a huge blizzard. Mom begged him not to come home, but he wouldn't listen. He said he had to come to celebrate his little 'rugrats' birthday. He never made it, though. He was hit by a semi head on about ten minutes out of town."  
  
Callie paused, trying to collect herself. It had been so long since she had trusted someone enough with her whole story. But these girls were her family, the only family that she had left, and she wanted nothing more than for them to understand everything about her.  
  
"When Mom first met Paul he was a real gentleman. He was always fussing over me, and bringing me gifts, and Mom fell for him because that's how Dad always was with me. Plus, I was going through my two year old stage, and Mom figured that if Paul was that devoted to me at that age, then he'd be even better to me once I was older." Callie snorted, "He was nice all right. He didn't really hit me as much as he hit Mom. I tried to stop him, but I was too young, and Mom would yell at me if I tried to help." Callie closed her eyes in pain. "She tried taking me away once, but he found us, and just about beat her dead. After that we stayed. Mom told me that if he ever hurt me that I was supposed to tell her, and we'd leave. But she was too afraid that he would for sure hurt me if we tried to leave again. So she put up with his abuse because she thought it would keep me safe. It's twisted logic, I know, but something tells me that Paul didn't think logically. Besides, from what Mom knew it was working."  
  
Kelly looked at Callista with soft, compassionate eyes, "It wasn't?"  
  
Callie glanced at her feet, ashamed, and shook her head.   
  
"No. Far from it, actually. I mean, he didn't beat me as much, that part was true. What he did to me I didn't have any bruises to show for. There was no indication. That's why it was so easy to hide from Mom." She glanced up at the ceiling, then faced her friends again. "She found out though. You know, maternal instinct and all. That and walking in on him one night after work when he was on top of me and I was only partially clothed. She lost it on him, and the next day we left. But we didn't get far. He caught up to us and Mom told me to run. I did...eventually...but not before I heard the gun go off and saw my Mom hit the pavement. He stood for a moment, very still and quiet. He looked almost as shocked as I was, but then he got his bearings, and started yelling at me. I took off, and since I was younger and faster and smarter, I got away. From him at least. After that, I lived pretty much anywhere that I wouldn't get kicked out of. I took any job that I could get, and was afraid for my life many times far worse than that." Callie paused thoughtfully, tears glazing her eyes, and smiled. "And then, I met someone from Manticore. They told me about this place, and I thought 'why not'. It could get me started on a new life, and it would give my first child a safe place. A place where my history won't repeat itself."  
  
Alecia reached over, and wrapped Callie in a tight bear hug.  
  
"Same here, sugar."  
  
Callie pulled away slightly and looked into Alecia's eyes. "What?"  
  
"I came here because I was on the street too. I was pregnant, I wasn't married, and so my parents kicked me out. I had my baby in a deserted taxi cab. I lived underneath a crumbled bridge in San Francisco, and I tried everything I could to help my little girl out. But, I couldn't afford health care, and finding a job with a one week old baby girl is near to impossible. She was born sick, and I got sick and she died soon after. When I met someone from Manticore, it was my second chance. Ramie didn't ask to be born into this world with me as a mother, but I would've given everything I had to make her better. Unfortunately, I didn't have anything of worth. Then, I was offered this. I don't really care about the money. But, I know that this is a place, where my baby isn't going to get killed because of my imperfections, and I couldn't give that up. I owe it to Ramie."  
  
Eve listened in silence to the two girls confessions, and she watched with saddened fascination as the two girls embraced again, clinging to each other for dear life. As the others continued with their thanks, Eve noticed the reassuring smiles, the non-judgmental looks, and the hugs and hand-squeezes that told each other they weren't alone. No one condemned the other. It was like a family. Maybe someone didn't agree with something another had done, but they loved each other all the same. There were too many similarities there, Eve noted with a start. Every single woman in the room had been through some of the most amazing hardships to face a person. And they had come out on top. They were a resilient bunch, probably the very reason Manticore picked them. A woman needs resilience to give up a child.  
  
As it came to her turn, Eve noticed that more and more, the declarations of gratefulness were becoming the very reasons why each woman was there. But as Eve spoke, she realized that their was only one main thing that she was grateful for: this child. Everyone had gone to Manticore for the same reason: they were looking for their sanctuary, for their utopia...for their Eden. They had gone to Manticore, and Eve had found her child. She knew now that her misguided interest in the story had brought her to Manticore, but it was her child that realized her dream of finding that garden. Her dreams of naming her daughter Eden had come true in more ways than one. Her daughter was her paradise.  
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Sorry, I know that this is a really, really long chapter, but...actually I have no excuse. Please don't be mad. I hope you enjoyed it. And please respond regardless. 


	6. To Say The Words

Title: No Greater Love  
  
Author: Amy Lock (Sea Angel)  
  
Disclaimer: Been there, done that, they're not mine. However, if the writers and producers of Dark Angel want to talk to me, I'm all ears. They wouldn't even have to pay me, all I'd ask for would be an Aztec and a new computer. ;)  
  
Also, as much as I wish I did own the song 'If I'm Not In Love', I don't. I do love to sing it, though, if that counts for anything. tee hee. It was written by Constant Change and is sung by Faith Hill on her 'Breath' album. If any of you have access to it, you should listen to it before reading this chapter. It's definitely worth it.  
  
Authors Notes: I know I promised to explain a little bit further, but I forget what I was going to say. Actually, I hope I explained most of it last chapter. And there is a very particular reason why Kelly is in her twenties, which is kinda old, considering, but you'll find out more about that later. Please write if you don't understand something, and if I can help you with it, then I will. Probably though, it'll be covered in a future chapter, b/c I'm trying to keep some parts vague on purpose.  
  
Secondly, the opening scene here comes from personal experience, considering I'm about the same age as the majority of these women are. I also live in residence, where I share my suite with five other girls. I can tell you that nothing, and I repeat nothing, can bring girl university roommates together as much as a new monthly edition of Cosmo magazine. In particular, the annual Kama Sutra edition. Every suite in my res. has at least one copy, most have more. Nothing can guarantee more laughs, and even the guys will come in and check out the magazine. So, since I figure that these girls are in a somewhat similar predicament when it comes to sharing a home with tons of girls, and seeing as they are still normal females, I stuck this in.   
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"How to Make Him Come To You." Brenna held the magazine and read ceremoniously, but her wide grin and wicked eyes gave away the playful atmosphere, "Yup, definitely what every girl should know."  
  
Jill groaned in pretend annoyance, "Aw c'mon, Brenna, that's not the article we all want to read."  
  
"Why, whatever do you mean?" Brenna asked with wide eyes, fake innocence gleaming through.  
  
Alecia laughed and crossed her arms over her chest, "You know exactly what she's talking about."  
  
"No, I don't think I do."  
  
Jill rolled her eyes, "Brenna, it is every girl's duty to, as soon as the annual Cosmo's Kama Sutra edition comes out, go directly to that article. Do not stop at go, do not collect two hundred dollars, just go directly there, not looking at any other page."  
  
At Jill's frustrated proclamation all the girls burst into laughter. Even Kelly started laughing loudly, which didn't happen very often.  
  
It was just another 'normal' day in the life of a pregnant Manticore surrogate, and the soldier, Chris, had just brought in the newest magazine. Although the girls were not allowed any mail, they had begged and pleaded for some outside item, and the soldiers finally relented. Although, the rules had been strict: no newspapers, no radios, no cable stations, and no political magazines. The girls agreed, excited for the small win, and had decided upon their favorite magazine. Now they were crowded into the living room.  
  
It was a good two weeks into December, and there was not a woman in the room who wasn't showing at least a little. Although, for Eve and Mandy, you wouldn't notice unless you were looking for it. Callista, on the other hand, looked like she was ready to explode. It was already two days past her due date, and everyone was waiting anxiously for the young girls baby to arrive. Callie was walking on pins and needles, intensely nervous at one moment, then acting totally unfazed the next. Many of the others were preparing for their delivery as well. Brenna had another week before her due date, and Maggie had three more weeks to go. The rest all knew that they would for sure be around for Christmas. Originally, Maggie had been sure she would be as well, for Christmas was a good week and a half before her little girl was due. However, things were progressing at a rapid pace, and the doctors had told Maggie that if she were to have the baby at any time now, it would be perfectly healthy. Mags had gone back to her room, worried out of her mind, but Kelly consoled her when she explained that because of the children's advanced genetics, some of them did not need as much time in the womb. Paris had been induced more than a month early.  
  
"Fine, fine, fine. You win." Brenna grinned mischievously, and began flipping through the pages, "Hey, look, this sounds interesting..."  
  
"Brenna..." Jill growled in a teasing tone.  
  
"Ah, here we go. The Kama Sutra-Cosmo style." Brenna giggled as she turned the page sideways, "Wow. That looks...difficult."  
  
Eve laughed as the other girls sitting beside Brenna squeezed in for a look, as did many of the others.  
  
After about an hour of playful camaraderie, Eve glanced at her watch and realized that it was time for her doctors appointment. Sighing heavily, she got to her feet.  
  
"What, is it two o' clock, already?" Mandy asked, referring to Eve's scheduled daily appointments.  
  
"Yup," Eve shrugged and flashed Mandy a look that said 'I hate going to these darn things, but what can you do?', before heading to her room.  
  
"Okay," Eve muttered to herself, "I need my papers, where did they go? Aw c'mon..."Eve growled quietly in frustration as she searched desperately for the papers that she had strictly been told to bring with her. She remembered putting them in a safe spot, but that was about a week ago, and she had no idea where they were now. Getting on her hands and knees, she began to search under the bed.  
  
Eve grimaced prematurely as her hands touched the floor underneath the bed, but realized quickly that there was absolutely no dust or dirt there. She furrowed her brow at the unusual finding, but continued on her way. It was dark under the bed, and Eve had to use her hands as her eyes. After hastily pulling out a few useless sheets of paper, her hand struck something soft and inviting. Gingerly, Eve tugged and pulled on the object, revealing a leather jacket.  
  
/Eve closed her eyes and rolled her head back, enjoying the administrations to her collar bone. Nash drew light but hungered kisses along the bone and then proceeded to bring his mouth up to hers in a fervent and passionate kiss that took her breath away. Leaning back farther into the booth, she pulled Nash with her, her hands tight on his back.  
  
"Eve," he whispered, his voice husky, "I think..."  
  
Nash's thoughts were interrupted as the manager of the restaurant plopped their drinks with a loud and unceremonious thump onto their table.  
  
With a glare at the two love birds he spoke in a cold voice, "Eat, or take it outside. Your pick." Then he walked away, muttering something under his breath about those 'damn horny teenagers'.  
  
Eve laughed softly, trying to slow her racing heart. Putting her hands on Nash's chest, she pushed them up gently until they were seated in a more upright position. "Well, I guess we better eat, huh?"  
  
Nash's green eyes were smoldering emeralds as he glanced at Eve, "I'd rather prefer to take it outside."  
  
Eve shot him a flirtatious grin before responding.  
  
"Yeah, well, you're just gonna have to wait, because I'm starving. Besides, it's your night to pay, and you're not getting out of it that easy."  
  
"Oh really?" Nash's eyes blazed as he moved in closer to Eve, the corners of his mouth twitching into a smirk. "Well, we'll just have to see about that..."   
  
Eve gulped as Nash brought his lips within inches of hers, "Nash..." she began, but she was cut off as he kissed her, her mind losing all semblance of thought.../  
  
"Eve, are you okay in there?"  
  
Eve jolted out of her reverie to the sound of a loud knock on the door, and Mandy's curious question. Looking up, she saw Mandy standing in the doorway, a look of concern etched in her pretty features.  
  
"Yeah, sorry, I just lost track of time, I guess." Eve shot Mandy a sheepish look as Mandy came to sit on her bed.  
  
"I didn't know you had a leather jacket, Eve. Why haven't you worn it yet?"  
  
Eve looked down and was surprised to see the jacket hugged tightly in her arms. Shrugging nonchalantly, she shoved it back under her bed, and joined Mandy.  
  
"Dunno. We don't really go outside very much, now do we? So I guess that's why. I kinda forgot that it was even here."  
  
"You're gonna be late for your doctor's appointment, you know."  
  
Eve groaned, remembering. A quick glance at her watch told her that she had about seven minutes to find the papers and get to the clinic. Furrowing her brow she looked at Mandy pleadingly.  
  
"I know, but I can't find the papers that I was supposed to bring. I've looked everywhere. Even under the bed. But I just can't find them."  
  
Mandy giggled, "Eve, Eve, Eve. What would you do without me? They're in your closet. Inside the middle compartment in your purse. You put them there to remember them."  
  
As Mandy spoke, recollection hit Eve, and she jumped off the bed and fairly flew to her closet. Sure enough, there they were, neatly folded in half. Eve wrinkled her nose.  
  
"Well, I guess that next time I'll maybe just leave them on my dresser, because I never would have remembered putting them here."  
  
Mandy rolled her eyes, "Like I said, that's why I'm here. Now, you should get going."  
  
Eve grinned and leaned over to give Mandy a quick peck on the cheek, "Thanks, you're the best."  
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Later on that night, Eve lay in bed. Her face was towards the ceiling, but her eyes were somewhere much farther away. Her fingers were wrapped tightly around the large piece of leather in her hands, and every now and then her breathing would break into shaky rasps as she fought to keep tears from falling. She could hear the others in the living room making the most of the last hour before 'lights out'. Earlier on in the day, Eve had been extremely excited for that night, for Mandy and Brenna were putting on somewhat of a concert, but now she had no energy to go watch. She had used the excuse that the doctor's appointment had been long and tiring, but she knew it wasn't the truth.   
  
A sad, beautiful melody floated through the door of her small room, as Brenna began a new song. The haunting music caused Eve to close her eyes in order to get a grip on her emotions. And then, she heard the lyrics that Mandy was singing with all the feeling in her heart.  
  
If I'm not in love with you  
What is this I'm going through, tonight  
And if my heart is lying then  
What should I believe in  
Why do I go crazy  
Every time I think about you baby  
Why else do I want you like I do  
If I'm not in love with you  
  
/ "No, close your eyes."  
  
"Nash", Eve whined, "My eyes have been closed for the last hour. It was dark out three hours ago. Keeping my eyes closed is pointless."  
  
Nash laughed stubbornly, "I don't care. Keep 'em closed."  
  
Eve sighed and tried to smother a smile. No matter what, this was one of the most romantic gifts she'd ever gotten for her birthday. She still didn't know what it was, but she knew Nash well enough to realize that it was going to be good.  
  
She had been sitting in the passenger seat of his jeep for an hour now, her eyes tightly closed. It was twelve thirty in the morning, and Nash and Eve had started out their evening more than four hours ago. They had first gone to an exquisite and expensive restaurant, then to a sappy, romantic movie. Then Nash had sprung his surprise. They had walked out to his jeep, and Nash had told her that they were going for a 'ride'. He waited until they were both settled into their seats, and then he had told her to close her eyes. She had stayed that way without protest for 45 minutes, but now she was taking to protesting every ten minutes or so.  
  
Eve felt the car slow down, and felt Nash moving beside her. He unbuckled his seatbelt without a word, and then did the same for her own.  
  
"Okay, now this is important. You'll be able to open your eyes in about ten minutes or so, but I want you to keep them closed until then, okay? Can you do that for me?"  
  
Eve forgot about her impatience and smiled gently at his concerned tone of voice.  
  
"Of course."  
  
She could feel Nash smile at her words.  
  
"Great. I'm gonna go 'round to your side, and help you get out. Then we're gonna have to go for a little walk."  
  
"Um...Nash?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"You wouldn't happen to have a blindfold, would you? I mean, I will try to keep my promise as best as possible, but I don't know how well I'm going to succeed with keeping my eyes shut if I trip."  
  
Nash frowned in concentration, "I guess you're right. I'll help you out, but you've got a good point. Okay then, a blindfold..."  
  
Eve could hear Nash rummaging in the backseat, and then move back in front of her.  
  
"This is the best I can do," he replied, wrapping a warm piece of material around her eyes. Immediately the smell of Nash filled her mind; leather mingled with masculine but light cologne, and the smell of the outdoors. She reached up and stroked the fabric, smiling as she did so.  
  
"Your leather jacket."  
  
He grinned, "Yup. Good thing it's a nice night out. Okay, hold tight. I'll be right back."  
  
Hoping out of the car, Nash walked briskly to the back and pulled out a large canvas bag. He then proceeded to Eve's door where he helped her out carefully.  
  
"Come on", he said, eagerness very apparent in his voice.  
  
They had walked for about five minutes in the warm night air, when Eve felt a cold blast of water hit her.  
  
"Ahhh!" she screamed, jumping instinctively closer to Nash.   
  
There was a pause, and then Nash started laughing.  
  
"Nash!" Eve cried, slapping him hard on the arm, "You jerk! I thought this was supposed to be romantic! What'd you do that fo...ahhh!" She jumped again as another blast hit her.  
  
Nash tried to control his laughter as he reached out and untied his jacket from around Eve's eyes.  
  
Eve blinked, ready to pounce. But as the jacked was removed from her vision, her words died on her lips.  
  
They were in a garden, but not just any garden. It was the most beautiful garden she had ever set eyes on. The grass was sparkling green with tiny dewdrops glistening in the moonlight. The garden, itself, was lit by tiny, old-fashioned street lamps with intricate metal designs. A few feet in front of her lay a small, winding river, with a simple wooden bridge across it. All around lay flowers in patterns that brought out every color of the rainbow. Over to her left sat a small, delicate, white fountain, and a large tree was to her right. It was then that she noticed that the air held a misty dew, and looking around she noticed dozens of different sprinklers which were all on.  
  
"Nash," Eve whispered in awe, "What is this place?"  
  
Nash looked around and smiled. Drawing Eve into his arms, he whispered his answer.  
  
"It belongs to some friends of my family. They were going away for a week to Florida, and they asked my parents if they could look after their house. A couple days ago I was out here, helping my dad, and he took me to see this garden. The Dubrais's favorite hobby is gardening, I guess. Anyway, I asked Dad if he'd let me take you out here, because I knew how much you loved gardens. I wanted it to be a surprise." He smiled softly as he kissed her on the forehead. "I must say, though, these sprinklers coming on while we were here was definitely not part of my big romantic plan."  
  
She giggled impishly as she realized for the first time just how bad the sprinklers had really gotten her. Deciding to ignore her wet clothing, she snuggled further into Nash's embrace, tracing her hand lightly up the red mark that was forming on his arm from her hit.  
  
"Sorry about that. I thought you were just taking advantage of my poor, blindfolded self."  
  
Nash chuckled, "It's okay. If that would've been the case, I would've deserved more than that. Come on. We've still got a little bit more to walk."  
  
Eve looked at him suspiciously, but accepted his outstretched hand. Together, they walked side by side over top the bridge, and to a more open space beyond it. There, Nash halted, and reached into the bag. Pulling out a large blanket, he lay it on the ground, then motioned for her to join him. Smiling, Eve sat in front of him, leaning on his chest, his arms wrapped protectively around her."/  
  
/And if I don't need your touch  
Why do I miss you so much, tonight  
If it's just infatuation, then  
Why is my heart achin'  
To hold you forever  
Give a part of me I thought I'd never  
Give again to someone I could lose  
If I'm not in love with you/  
  
/ "See that one? Right up there. It kinda looks like a kite? That one's called Bootes. And the bright star in it, the orange one, its name is Arcturus. It's the fourth brightest star that we can see from here. And it's 100 times brighter than the sun."  
  
Eve sighed contentedly, listening in rapture at Nash's comments.  
  
"How did you learn all this?"  
  
Nash sighed and softly kissed Eve's neck, "In school. I took an astronomy class. I figured it'd be useful if I ever decided to get myself lost in the woods."  
  
Eve laughed softly, "Do you know any others?"  
  
"Sure," Nash shrugged, "That's Hercules up there."  
  
Eve giggled, "Really? There's really a constellation called that?"  
  
"Yup. Actually, many of them are called after Greek myths. Pegasus is right there; the one that looks like a box with two legs coming out of it. On top of Pegasus is Andromeda. Then over there is Persius. He's another Greek legend, much like Hercules."  
  
"What about all the astrological signs? Where are they?"  
  
"Well, we can't see all of them this time of year, of course, but...if you look over there you can see Scorpius, Aquarius and Capricorn. Sagitarius is in the middle of those three and it's probably my second favorite, next to Leo, which we can't see right now."  
  
"Hmm." Eve closed her eyes happily, leaning further into Nash, "did you know that you are amazing?"  
  
Nash chuckled self-consciously and ran a gentle finger down her cheek, "It's not that big of a deal. It was more the professor than me. I mean, he was..."  
  
Eve stopped him by turning around and brushing her lips softly over his.  
  
"That's not what I meant."  
  
Nash's breath caught in his throat as he stared at her. She looked so beautiful. Her cheeks were a light pink from the slight breeze in the air, her clothes clung to her body, still damp from the sprinklers. Her eyes stared deep into his own, burning with something she had yet to admit to anyone.   
  
"God, I love you." he whispered fiercely.  
  
In response, she leaned in closer, capturing his mouth with her own. The kiss was sweet, yet full of hidden emotion, and a few moments later, she reluctantly pulled away to catch her breath.  
  
"I wonder if Micky's wondering where I am."  
  
Nash smiled and reached out to brush a stray lock of hair from her eyes.  
  
"Actually, I explained my plan to Michelle. I figured she'd get worried if you didn't show up, so I told her not to expect you until morning."  
  
Eve's eyes danced with mischief and flirtatious smile crept across her lips. "Oh really? Somebody was being a pretentious little boy, wasn't he?"  
  
Nash's face flushed red as he caught Eve's meaning. "Oh...no, that's not what I meant. I just told her morning, because...well just in case...because it's an hour from your place in the city and so that would make it morning before we got back. I mean...it's already..."  
  
Eve's laugh broke off his fumbled response and she kissed him again, this time with a little more force.  
  
"I know. Don't worry. Thanks for talking to her, okay? I'm glad you did, otherwise she starts to get nervous."  
  
Nash eyed her with a concerned expression, "Well maybe if you stopped getting into trouble she wouldn't have to worry about you so much. Your roommates care about you, you know."  
  
Eve sighed heavily, and turned back in his arms so that she was cuddled up to his chest once again.   
  
"I know. And they're great girls, and I care about them dearly. But they worry too much. Just like you do. I'm a big girl, remember? I can take care of myself. Besides, it's fun being a bad-ass sometimes. It's half my appeal." She said this last teasingly, and was rewarded by a soft chuckle.  
  
"Right" Nash said sarcastically.  
  
"Aw, c'mon. You know it's true. You wouldn't be nearly as attracted to me if I was a good little girl, would you?"  
  
Nash sighed. "I'd love you no matter what, Eve."  
  
Eve closed her eyes. It pained her that she hadn't been able to say those words back to Nash. In her heart, she knew. She knew that she had never loved and never would love any one else as much as she loved this man. But saying those words, making them come to the surface...well, that just wasn't happening. She wasn't going to hurt him like that. If she didn't say the words then maybe she could pretend her heart still wasn't attached, and then she wouldn't feel the need to run. If she didn't say the words, then he wouldn't get his hopes up about changing her ways. If she didn't say the words, then maybe...then maybe she wouldn't lose him the way that she had lost every other person that she had ever admitted to loving in her life./  
  
/Oh why in every fantasy  
Do I feel your arms embracing me  
Lovers lost in sweet desire  
Oh why in dreams do I surrender  
Like a little baby  
How do I explain this feeling  
Someone tell me/  
  
/"It's so beautiful, Nash." Eve whispered, looking up at the stars.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
Eve turned around to speak to him, and met his gaze which was held intently on her.  
  
"How'd you know, Nash?"  
  
"Know what? That you would love this garden? You always tell me about how much you love gardens. I just figured that..."  
  
"No."  
  
"No what?"  
  
Eve stared up into his face. He was so beautiful. She smiled softly as she plucked a piece of dark brown hair away from his face so that she could look into his eyes. His eyes which were dark green, but lit up every time she entered the room. The eyes that danced when she kissed him, and the eyes that ached and tried so hard not to show it when she changed the subject from love. This was a man who loved her more than he loved himself. And yet, she couldn't help but hurt him.  
  
"When I was younger, I was told that up in the stars sat angels who were looking out for us. Whenever I was scared and couldn't sleep, my mom would tell me that story, and I'd always feel safe. The stars always made me feel safe. But I haven't felt that way in a while." Eve sighed softly. "I felt that way tonight, Nash."  
  
Nash's eyes were intent on hers as he leaned over and kissed her gently. When they broke apart, Eve looked up, her own brown eyes misted over with emotion.  
  
"I've always wanted to make love underneath the stars." Eve whispered softly, before leaning over and kissing Nash, trying with all her heart to convey what her words would not let her express./  
  
/If I'm not in love with you  
What is this I'm going through, tonight  
And if this heart is lying then  
What should I believe in  
Why do I go crazy  
Every time I think about you baby  
Why else do I want you like I do  
If I'm not in love with you/  
  
/Looking up at the sky, Nash sighed softly. Bowing his head, he kissed Eve on her bare shoulder, before disentangling himself from her in order to stand up. Silently, he threw on his shirt, not even bothering to button it up, then proceeding to put the empty bottle and champagne glasses in the bag. Stooping down beside Eve, who was still wrapped in the blanket, he pulled her into his arms, and began carrying her across the garden and back to his jeep. As he neared his vehicle, Eve stirred slightly, snuggling into him. With her small hand splayed across the left part of his chest, she nestled back in, and Nash continued to walk.  
  
Eve let out a small, soft and contented sound as her eyelids fluttered open momentarily. Looking up through sleepy eyes she smiled absently at Nash, then rested her head back on his chest. He assumed that she had fallen back asleep until he heard her tiny voice, her breath hot on his skin.  
  
"Nash...I love you."  
  
Nash stopped dead in his tracks, momentarily forgetting to breath. When it finally registered exactly what she had said, minutes had gone by.  
  
"What?" The word was so quiet that the slow wind nearly swept it away. "Eve?"  
  
But Eve didn't answer. She had fallen asleep again, her hand still resting lovingly over his heart.  
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When the concert had ended, and the girls were getting ready for bed, Mandy and Callista tiptoed over to Eve's room to check on how she was feeling. When they opened the door, they found Eve fast asleep in her bed, hugging a large leather jacket by her side.  
  
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Yup, shippery as all heck, I know, but I hope you enjoyed it anyway. From now on, it probably will start to get a little darker, too. After all, this is Manticore we're dealing with. I'll try to post soon, but this is probably gonna be a hectic week, and I haven't written any of the next chapter yet. If I don't post before Friday, enjoy 'Gill Girl'. I know I will, I've been waiting for that episode for a long time. 


	7. I Promise

Author: Amy Lock  
  
Story: No Greater Love  
  
Disclaimer: Not mine  
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Callista sat in contentment, sipping her decaffeinated hot chocolate with a soft smile on her lips. Earlier that morning, she had been bugged mercilessly about tonight, but Callie could care less. Instead, she had giggled when they had called him 'soldier boy', and had clarified any disillusions about her having a fancy for him. Truth be told, he reminded her of her friend, Dale, who had always been like a big brother to her. At least, before she had taken to the streets.  
  
Cassie was the only other one who had seen him. He worked nights, and only once or twice a week. The rest of the time, he was working where the children were. Everyone else had been asleep, like they were supposed to, but that night Callista had been plagued with a massive case of insomnia, and Cassandra had been kind enough to stay up with her. When they had heard him walk in the door, they had been frightened, for the rules were very clear that they were to be in their rooms at 11 p.m. nightly. But when he had seen them sitting in the living room, staring at him in slight fear, he had just smiled and whispered a greeting. After that, he joined them, although he periodically left to check on the other women as was his job. He had stayed with them until 2:00 in the morning, talking about everything that came to mind. Callie had sat, enthralled. He was gorgeous, that was for sure. His dark green eyes had sparkled with friendly fire, his brown hair falling constantly into them. And his well muscled body was defined perfectly by his uniform. But Callista had no romantic interest in him at all. Instead, she found his words soothing. He didn't treat her like a prisoner or a run-away or a whore, instead he treated her like she was his sister - someone he cared about. And that was something she hadn't felt in quite sometime.  
  
So, she had figured out his schedule, and the next time that he was on duty, she was waiting on the couch. Once again, his smile lit up his face, and he sat with her until early morning when he insisted that she go to sleep for the health of her baby as well as her own. And so the pattern had continued, which was why Callista sat, hot chocolate in hand, waiting patiently on the now vacated couch.  
  
She didn't have to wait long. Within ten minutes of settling herself, she heard the main door creak open, and she saw Scott standing at the door.  
  
"Well, fancy meeting you here," he joked quietly, his bright smile sweeping across his lips.  
  
Callista returned his expression with a grin of her own.   
  
"Hey Scott."  
  
"How's it goin' Callie?" Scott hopped into the reclining chair opposite of her as he talked, "Is the baby getting a little anxious to come out and see the world?"  
  
Callie giggled. "If he is, he sure isn't making that clear. I don't know, Scott. All the other women were early, even if it was just a few days."  
  
Scott nodded thoughtfully. "Well, what do the doctors say?"  
  
"They say that they don't want to induce yet. The other babies developed faster than normal, but they say that this little guy wants to take his time. They told me it's nothing to worry about, that the different genetics will cause the babies to develop differently."  
  
"That's probably true then. If there's one thing that you can say about Manticore doctors, it's that they sure know what they're doing."  
  
Callista looked much more relieved at Scott's answer.  
  
"He sure is a basketball player, though."  
  
Scott looked up with a chuckle. "Basketball? Don't you mean soccer?"  
  
Callie's cocked eyebrow made Scott laugh even harder. "Are you the one carrying this baby, Mr. Know-it-all? I meant what I said. He sure as hell feels more like he's bouncing around instead of just kicking."  
  
Scott held up his hands in a mock surrender. "Okay, okay. Don't bite my head off."  
  
"Well, you should've learned by now that you don't annoy a girl who's nine-months pregnant."  
  
Scott smiled at her comment and laughed ruefully. A comfortable silence took conversations place for a few moments.  
  
"Callie, what are you gonna do - after I mean." The silence was broken by Scott's curious but compassionate voice.  
  
Callista looked up, surprise clear in her eyes. "I...I don't know exactly. I've been on my own for so long that I didn't think it would bother me to go back to it. But, I think I'm gonna miss the company and...warmth of these girls. At least now I'll have the money to get me off the street." Callie sighed and a far-away look claimed her eyes. "I've always wanted to go to Brooklyn and see the bridge at night. Maybe I'll try my luck there. I'll take the money and get myself an apartment. Go to high school. I could even try to make something big of myself and go to post-secondary school after I get my diploma. Gosh, my diploma. I would always dream about that whenever my life got particularly shitty. I'd imagine myself up on a big stage in those awful robes, shaking the principals hand and grinning like a fool. I never thought I'd get the chance, though."  
  
Callista looked at Scott then, with tears in her eyes. He looked concerned, but his expression encouraged her to continue.  
  
"You know, everyone always calls America the land of opportunity. If it's such a wonderful place, then tell me why a fifteen year old with no family left in the world has to sell her own baby for a chance at an education."  
  
Scott sat quietly, his heart burning in anger. What answer did he have to such a question asked from the mouth of a young teenager? So many people would have answered cynically - that she could have always gone to a foster home. But would that have been any different? In the more abhorrent parts of the country, would a foster home be any better for a young girl trying to stay alive and keep her dignity in tact? What other choice did she have? She knew nothing of what Manticore really was. Instead, she had been approached by a man in a black suit, a man more distinguished looking than any she had ever seen, and he had offered her a chance of a lifetime. She would escape the dark hell she lived in, make money, and save lives while doing it. Giving up a child was the last thing she was ready to do and the only thing that she could do.  
  
Instead of speaking empty promises, Scott chose to reach out and squeeze her hand. He kept it there until her tears subsided, and calmer conversation took over. Then he brought his hand back to his lap, and listened intently while Callista once again became the giddy fifteen year old that she was meant to be.  
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Eve awoke to soft voices coming from the living room. Stretching sleepily, she glanced at her clock and her brow furrowed in puzzlement. 12:30 am. Nobody was supposed to be up now, and there was only ever one guard on duty at a time. The first thought that popped into her head was that it was two of the other women having a late night conversation. No longer tired, Eve shrugged into her robe and slippers and quietly padded out her door.  
  
As she neared the living room, however, Eve became aware that one of the voices was masculine. Her curiosity escalating, she quickened her step, but quieted it at the same time. Peering into the living room, Eve saw Callie talking animatedly, and the back of a soldier sitting in the chair across from her. As Eve peeked in, Callista looked up and spotted her.  
  
"Eve!" she said in excitement. "Come here. I want to introduce you to somebody. Scott, this is Eve. Eve, this is..."  
  
But Eve wasn't paying any attention, for the soldier had turned around and was now staring deep into her brown eyes, horror reflecting in his own. His mouth had fallen open and his breathing had nearly stopped. This was a man that she knew all too well. This was a man who's touch sent her reeling. This was a man who had shown her exactly what kind of paradise love could be  
  
  
"Nash."  
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Callista giggled. "No, his name is Scott."  
  
Eve swallowed hard. Scott. No, this was definitely Nash, no doubt about it, there was no mistaking the first person you ever fell in love with. She could state every fact about him: where he had been born, his parents names, the scar from the bullet that he had taken to save her life. She knew that if she were to lift his shirt it would be there, larger than the one she had to show and twice as serious. But Callista had said that his name was not Nash, it was Scott. Eve flinched as the implications hit her. Just that morning, the girls had been bugging Callie about 'soldier boy'; an apparently 'hot' young man by the name of Scott. He had been here for weeks.   
  
Eve took a deep breath and shot Nash a pointed look.   
  
"Sorry. You reminded me of someone that I once knew." She extended her hand to shake his, but at the contact of his skin against hers she pulled away to conceal the quiver that overtook her body.  
  
Her entire being screamed at her to call him by his name, to pull him into her arms, but she knew better. She had messed up one of his assignments before, not knowing of the dangers of his true job, and it had just about cost him his life. She was fully aware of what her wishes would do, and so she tried her best to keep them at bay. There was a reason why he was at Manticore under the alias of Scott, and she knew that in due course all would be revealed to her. Until then, she would play upon the acting skills that she had held so dear growing up. Whatever it was, Callista had no need to get mixed up in it.  
  
"Yeah well, I get that a lot." Nash raked a shaky hand through his cropped brown hair. Eve noticed with a slight smug feeling that she was faring better at this acting thing than he was.  
  
Turning her attention to Callie, she joined the younger girl on the couch.  
  
"Watcha doin' Cals? It's way past lights out time, and you need all the sleep you can get. Chances are that in the next few days you might not be getting much at all."  
  
Callista smiled and squeezed Eve's hand with sisterly love. "I know, Eve, but I just wanted to stay up and say hi to Scott. I probably won't get the chance again. I'll go to bed now, though, don't worry." Getting up from her position on the couch, she walked over to Nash and gave him a brief hug. "Thanks for everything."  
  
Nash smiled softly at Callista, Eve momentarily forgotten. "You take care of yourself, young'un. And promise me that you'll go and check out the Brooklyn bridge for me, okay?"  
  
Callie looked at him with determined eyes. "I promise."  
  
Nash winked at her. "Good. Now go to bed. Eve's right, you need all the rest that you can get."  
  
Callie felt tears welling up in her eyes, and she turned to Eve in an attempt to distract them. "You coming?"  
  
Eve bit her lip as she looked into the young girls eyes. "In a minute. I've got another craving for milk, and I don't think I'll be able to get back to bed if I don't have some."  
  
"All right then. See you in the morning."  
  
And with that, Callista disappeared from the room, leaving Eve and Nash in vicious silence.  
  
Eve closed her eyes and tried to steady her racing heart. It didn't help, though. He was too close, and nothing was going to help except for distance.   
  
Standing up, Eve crossed the room, her back to Nash. "Why are you here?" She hadn't meant for her voice to come out that cold, but it had and she cringed at the steel laced in it.  
  
Turning around, she found that Nash, too, had stood up, but he was looking at her with an intensity that made her want to cry.  
  
"Are you...are you a surrogate?" His voice came out in ragged gasps, any semblance of control gone from his voice.  
  
"Nash, I want you to let me explain..."  
  
"Are. You. A Surrogate?" Tears caught in his throat, causing each word to be pronunciated harshly.  
  
Eve stared into Nash's eyes and saw a hurt there like she had never seen before. She could still remember the feeling of safety when he wrapped his arms around her, the fear she had felt when she had realized her declaration of love. She could taste the sweetness of his lips upon her and the shadow of what could have been overpowered her as pain filled every inch of her body.  
  
"Yes."  
  
Nash had never known that a simple word could tear a hole that big and that easy. He felt like the wind had been knocked out of him, and he stumbled back visibly at the blow.  
  
/"I love you."/ The words echoed with a cruelty that he had never felt before. This was a woman that had once proclaimed a sentiment that had killed her to say, but had needed to be said anyway. And now here she stood in front of him, with a baby growing inside of her. A baby that would be doomed to go through far worse than even young Callie had experienced.  
  
He turned his back to her and leaned his head against the wall. Control, he needed control. If he was going to be of any help to her, he needed to keep himself together.  
  
Turning back around he fought to speak. "Do you...know what this is?"  
  
She stared at him, a look of utter incomprehension on her face.  
  
"Eve," his voice had risen, but he couldn't help it, "do you understand what you have gotten yourself into?"  
  
Again she stared at him, the same blank look on her face.  
  
"Do you know what Manticore is?" He fairly yelled his last question, but he didn't care anymore.  
  
It was then that realization hit Eve like a tidal wave. Nash didn't go undercover because an operation was legitimate and ethical. He went undercover because... Horror washed over her, and she turned a pale shade of white.  
  
"Nash...why are you here?"  
  
Nash didn't answer, and Eve's panic spread.  
  
"Nash, please. Tell me why you're here."  
  
Nash looked up and met Eve in the eye. "Eve, I need you to promise me something."  
  
Eve shook her head, fear causing the room to spin around her.  
  
"Promise me that you'll leave. Wait until the guards mess up one night, and no one is watching and run."  
  
Eve was trembling so hard that she could barely control her breathing.  
  
"Nash, this is a good operation. They're not gonna hurt the kids."  
  
"Eve..."  
  
Eve backed against the wall. "Nash tell me they're not gonna hurt the kids."  
  
Nash closed his eyes, and looked for a minute as if he were going to start to cry. But when they opened again, there was no traces of tears. Instead, a fiery anger consumed them. Letting out a frustrated yell, he slammed his fist into the wall. Breathing heavily, he turned to Eve.  
  
"Just promise me."  
  
Then with that, he whirled on his heel and walked out the door.  
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Mandy lay very still, her breathing radically uneven. She tried with all her might to fall back asleep, but Eve's words rang over and over in her head.  
  
'Tell me they're not going to hurt the kids.'  
  
Mandy turned her head towards the wall hoping she had been dreaming. But Eve's quiet sobs on the other side of the wall told her that she was not.  
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Eve had the most troubled sleep of her life that night, but somehow managed to drift off. She woke early the next morning to more sounds in the living room, these ones much less soft and gentle than the ones of the previous night. From the sounds of it, every woman left in Manticore was in the living room. Eve barely had any time to think about the implications of that before Mandy broke into her room, completely out of breath.  
  
"Callie's in labor."  
  
Eve shot straight out of bed. "What?"  
  
"Callie's in labor. Her water just broke, but she wants to see everyone before she lets soldier boy take her to the doctor."  
  
Eve was up and out of bed in seconds flat, and together the two women raced to the living room. Callie sat on the very couch that she had been just hours before, Nash was beside her holding her hand.  
  
Looking up Callista noticed Eve, "Hey," she managed weakly.  
  
"Hey yourself. How are you feeling?"  
  
Callie laughed and then groaned in pain, "Not too swell. I wanted to see you before I left."  
  
Eve smiled softly and crossed the room to hold her other hand. "Well here I am."  
  
"I'm scared, Eve." she whispered softly, tears filling her eyes.  
  
"It's gonna be okay. The doctor's here are the best in the country. They know exactly what they're doing..."  
  
"I know. But I'm not scared about that."  
  
Eve looked at her, confused.  
  
"I don't want my baby to grow up and think that I abandoned him. I just wish there was some way to talk to him, to let him know that I love him and that I didn't want to do this. What if they hurt him? What if he gets sick? I just want...augh." Callie's face contorted and tears spilled down her cheeks.  
  
"Hey Callie?"  
  
Nash's voice caused everyone's head to turn to him. He glanced quickly at Eve with a deliberate look and then his attention was directed straight back at Callista.  
  
"These people are good. They're not going to hurt him, and if he gets sick, they'll make him better. There's no safer place for him to be. And if you promise me that you'll do this and then go make a life for yourself - the one that you've always dreamed of having- then I'll make you a promise okay?"  
  
Callista stared at Nash with glazed eyes and choked breathing. She clung to his hand and his words for dear life.  
  
"I promise that everyday I'm working here I will tell him just how much his Mom loved him. He may not understand it, but somewhere he'll know. Okay? But you've got to be strong. For the baby. Can you do that for him?"  
  
Callie nodded, pain and tears causing her voice to be rendered mute.  
  
"Good. Now, we need to get you to the doctor, because as well trained as I am, I do not want to be delivering this baby."  
  
Callista managed to smile weakly as Nash helped her to her feet. He started towards the door, but she stopped him.  
  
Turning around she managed another faint smile. "Thanks you guys. I love you all. Good luck." Then with a blown kiss in Cassandra's direction, Nash and Callista disappeared out the door.  
  
Slowly the crowd of women dissipated to return to their beds, but Eve stayed behind staring at the door which Callie had left through.  
  
'Please,' she thought silently, 'please let Callie and the baby be all right. Please let her find that life and most of all, please, please, please let Nash be wrong."  
  
But as she turned to head for her own room, she noticed a small speck on the wall. Squinting she leaned in closer and what she saw there caused her breath to hitch in her throat. Where Nash's ring had contacted the wall the previous night, a tiny patch of pure, white paint had been scraped off. And revealed underneath it was a cold, grey cement.  
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Okay, okay I know what you guys are thinking. "Amy, this is turning into a soap opera." But I promise you that everything put in this chapter was absolutely necessary for the continuation of this story. I needed Nash in there for reasons not yet explained.  
  
Secondly, you will absolutely not see a chapter within the next week, b/c it is the last week of school, and final projects and exams are looming above me mercilessly.  
  
Thirdly, I am the biggest procrastinator in the world. I also love to start things and not finish them. This applies in particular to my stories. So pleeeeeeeease review. I need a fire lit underneath me at all times, otherwise I will just give up, and you guys will never know the ending.  
  
Thanks for reading and have a wonderful week. 


	8. Fallen Angel

Title: No Greater Love  
  
Autor: Amy Lock  
  
Disclaimer: See previous chapters  
  
Authors Notes: Please review. I gave up precious study time b/c I had to write some more, so please let me know what you think.   
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Nash trudged across the crisp snow, his high boots leaving perfect prints in the vast, motionless white. All around him, the air hung stiff and cold, his breath forming patterns of dancing dreams. The stars in the sky were twinkling brightly and he couldn't help but marvel again at how much more they shone outside of the city. That was something that he had missed when living with Eve in Seattle; the stars never glowed their proper colors amongst the skyscrapers and bustling streets.   
  
He made his way across the expanse of ice and wispy winds until he came to a frozen river with a wooden bridge across it, and a large empty piece of land beside it. And there, sitting with her back against a large evergreen tree, was Eve. Her dark hair seemed to have a glowing halo from the moonlight against the snow, and the locks were flowered in tiny white snowflakes. He could see her breathing coming out in the same swirls as his own and she turned her head slightly at the sound of his crunching boots approaching.  
  
"Can you see Sagittarius from here?"  
  
Her voice was so devastatingly sad that Nash thought the air had been sucked out of him. Her question had been hollow yet wishful, and the look in her eyes left tears in his own. Her bottom lip quivered as she turned from him to glance at the stars once more.  
  
Nash knelt beside her in the snow, bringing a gloved hand to her cheek to wipe away the crystallized tears she had shed.   
  
"You really didn't know, did you?"  
  
Still, Eve refused to meet his eyes. Of course she hadn't known. She wasn't a beast--if she had known that her own child would be hurt by her decision she would never have been sitting here, in this powdery snow, her lower body numb from the cold.  
  
"Eve?"  
  
Nash lifted her chin gently until her eyes were looking into his. What he saw there froze him more than the chilling winds, but he refused to let go. This was his fault. He had hurt her, just like all of the others had hurt her, but he wasn't giving up.  
  
"Eve?" he repeated, "It's okay, we're gonna fix this."  
  
With his words, the tears came and her body convulsed in sobs. Nash ignored the pain searing through his own body and reached over to hold her. His hand stroked her back and his voice whispered gentle words. When the spell was over, she pulled back a little from him so she could gaze into his face.  
  
"It's not okay, Nash. This is my baby, my child. I thought...I thought that..."  
  
"What?" he whispered in encouragement, "What did you think?"  
  
"I thought that I was giving her a gift. At least this way, she wouldn't have parents to lose, or friends to hurt her or people to care about. At least this way her heart wouldn't be broken..."  
  
Nash flinched visibly at her words and tried to ignore the nauseating feeling that was beginning to well up in his stomach. So he was partly to blame for this situation.  
  
"Eva, look at me. You've been through a lot, and Manticore wasn't exactly honest with you guys. This is not your fault."  
  
"What are they going to do to them?" Eve pleadingly implored his eyes with her question, "Why do they want them?"  
  
Nash cringed. "It's military, Eve. The less you know the better."  
  
"This is my child!" She hadn't meant to yell, it wasn't his fault. But everything was just so damn difficult.  
  
"And that's why I don't want you to know." Nash balanced out Eve's cry with a calmer voice. The last thing she needed right now was for him to become frantic. "I don't want you in any more danger than you're already in. Eva, I know what I'm asking for is a lot, I know what's at stake here. But you have to trust me." Despite his attempts, he could tell that his voice was going to crack and lose control any minute if she didn't agree. He decided to try again.  
  
"Please," he whispered in pained, hushed tones, "trust me."  
  
Eve looked up at the man that had managed to tear down so many of her walls, and she found that he had not lost his magic. In spite of herself, she nodded.  
  
Silence consumed the two as Nash settled himself in the snow beside Eve. He tried not to flinch when he felt the cold underneath him, but failed miserably. Eve didn't seem to notice.  
  
"You know I wanted to stay with you. I would have stayed with you, but..."   
  
Nash cut her off before she could go any further. "Let's not do this right now. There's more important things to think about."  
  
"No, I have to." Eve turned to face him, concern etched on her every feature. "You're too careless Nash. You almost got yourself killed and for what? Because of me? You have to stop worrying about other people and start looking after yourself."  
  
Nash was quiet for a moment and then looked at her, intense fire in his eyes. "I don't worry about 'other people' Eve; I worry about you."  
  
"Is that why you're here? Because you wanted to protect me?"  
  
"No. I didn't know where you were. You didn't tell me, remember?" Eve tried to ignore the guilt that flooded her senses at his accusation. "I came here because I was offered a job, and I wanted to get away from a city where everything reminded me of you. Some of my friends told me to wait around, that you'd just gotten spooked, and that you'd be back, but I knew. I knew you were gone. I knew you weren't coming back. And so when I stumbled upon a letter that I had received months prior, I agreed to come here. Because I was military, I'd heard rumors before, but I never really believed them. And I never wanted to find out if it was true; never wanted to know that our species could stoop this low. After you left, though, I wanted to know if it was true. So I hooked myself up with a new identity. I figured I had enough training, and if I had to turn against my own kind and join some other group I would. I thought that I could fight them. When I got here, I realized what was going on, but it was too late. I was already working for the bad guys."  
  
"Why are you still here?"  
  
"Suspicion. I've only been here for a couple months so I can't just pack up and leave or else major suspicions would be raised. Besides, I'm doing more good in here than I would be out there running for my life because I had to split early."  
  
Another silence filled the air before Eve got up the courage to speak again.  
  
"Callie said that you work with the children."  
  
Nash bit his lip. He wasn't sure if Eve was ready to hear this yet. "Yes."  
  
"What are they like?"  
  
A warmth filled Nash's eyes and melted a little of Eve's scared heart. "Amazing. They're brilliant--but I guess that's cause they were made that way. They recite the alphabet before age one and they're writing and speaking fluently at the age of two. And they're sweet. There's one little girl that's my favorite...X5-330, I think. I don't really pay attention to their designations. I'd rather call them nothing than by a number."  
  
Eve stared at Nash in disbelief, "They call them by a number?" At Nash's reluctant nod, Eve felt the pieces falling into place.  
  
/Use that name while you can, Eve. They don't take too kindly to names in this place./  
  
/We're not allowed to name them. They don't want us to become more attached than necessary. We're supposed to strictly refer to them as their number, but I think that's ridicules./  
  
Eve felt her hand fly to her throat and she gently toyed with the cold metal necklace on it. She had been given the chain when she had been told of her pregnancy. She thought then that it was just something to keep track of which surrogate she was. She knew that there had been many, and it made sense that it was easier to do it this way than to remember people by name. Now she knew. The strange engraving on her necklace was her child. X5-452.  
  
"So, this little one, this...330. You don't call her anything?"  
  
Nash grinned and a slight blush flooded his cheeks. Actually I do. I'm not supposed to, and I'll be in a lot of trouble and pain if anyone other than Chris finds out that I named her, but I couldn't help it."  
  
"What's her name?"  
  
"Eva."  
  
Eve looked up at him, a small but still visible smile playing on her lips. "Really?"  
  
"Yup. She's pretty much as close to perfection as they come, and so I figured why not name her after a real angel?"  
  
Eve laughed and slapped him, "You're an idiot." Inside, though, she was beaming that Nash would think of Eve by calling this child his own pet name for her.  
  
Nash laughed too, surprised that he still had the capability.  
  
"How old is she?"   
  
"She's the second oldest, about five months shy of being three years old."  
  
Eve took this in with a fervor. "She's two and a half? Who's the oldest?"  
  
Nash frowned at this question. "A little boy with the weight of the world on his shoulders. He just doesn't know it yet."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"Already they expect so much more of him, and all of his tests are coming back better than anyone ever envisioned possible. Most likely they'll make him the leader, the military would never throw away an opportunity like that. I'm afraid that the same thing's gonna happen to Eva."  
  
"It hasn't yet?"  
  
"No, they've kinda had their focus on this little guy. But they'll come to her eventually. From the few tests that she's had done, she's gonna be a powerful asset. Not as much as him, but she's still extraordinary."  
  
Eve sighed heavily. A powerful asset for what? She knew better than to ask the question aloud, but that didn't stop it from eating her up inside. Instead, she chose a safer query.  
  
"What's his number?"  
  
Nash looked pointedly into Eve's eyes before answering. "X5-599."  
  
Eve's eyes widened in surprise, but then she nodded knowingly. "Kelly's son."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Kelly's military, you know." Eve looked at Nash, hoping to find some answers hidden in his heavily encoded reposes.  
  
"I know." Nash's words were simple, and to anyone else would have been completely insignificant. But Eve knew Nash, she knew everything about him. And the way he said the two words, the way his eyes flashed concealed meaning told her exactly what she needed to know.  
  
"I thought so."  
  
Nash glanced at Eve. He wasn't surprised, just a little worried. "Kelly's good. How'd you figure it out?"  
  
Eve laughed softly, "I've watched you a long time, Nash McCloud, and I know the signs and procedures. Kelly hates Manticore, I can see it in her eyes. Every time she talks about it, they burn like coal and her voice takes on a harsher quality. Yet she's top of the staff, the most trusted; that's obvious. Otherwise she wouldn't be here two years after her son was born. My guess would be that she started in the military and they offered her the position as the first surrogate. I dunno, maybe they stuck with military personnel for the first stretch, and then realized how easy it was to trick young women into the job. All I know is that she lost her son to these guys, but she stayed anyway. Then there's you. Even when you were just starting out with the military, you had the brains and the moves. I've gotta figure that once you decided to try to do good here, that you would put your plan in action starting with the most susceptible, highest-ranking individual. In other words, Kelly. Who better than a woman tricked into childbirth and abandonment? Of course she would want to help you. And since she's still working for the military, supervising the surrogates, what better way is there to keep track of things in that area?"  
  
At first, Nash was amazed. How could he not be--she had hit the nail on the head without any training in tactics or military procedures. But after the initial shock, a slow smile spread across his face. In spite of himself and his surroundings, he found himself in the same state of attraction that he was in when he first realized that he had fallen hard for this girl. She was the smartest person he had ever met, and the toughest to boot. But she had a heart of solid gold and a nature that drew people of all ages to her.  
  
"Your amazing", he growled softly, his voice husky with emotion.  
  
She smiled, her eyes betraying the pain and love that made up her life. "So are you."  
  
Sighing heavily, Nash stood to his feet, offering Eve a hand. She took it, and allowed him to pull her gently to a standing position. She smiled at him and reveled in the feel of his touch--one hand on her stomach, the other intertwined with her own.  
  
"You know Nash, I meant it. That day...in the garden. I meant what I said. I do love you."  
  
Nash smiled softly and brushed a piece of hair out of her eyes with the back of his finger. Leaning in, he placed a gentle kiss on her lips. "I know. I love you too. And we're gonna get through this thing, okay?" Eve nodded, and brushed her lips past his again.  
  
"We should get go..." Nash stopped his words abruptly as his eyes went huge as saucers.  
  
"What?" Eve's breath caught in her throat. It was very rarely that Nash was caught by surprise enough that he lost his train of thought. He was trained to stay rational at all times.   
  
A slow, lopsided grin began to form across Nash's mouth as he gazed in wonderment into Eve's eyes. "The baby...just...kicked."  
  
Eve gave a tiny chuckle of relief but her eyes shone with amused pride. "Yeah, well, she does tend to do that."  
  
Nash, however, was not about to let the subject go just yet. Falling to his knees in the sand, he placed his hand on Eve's stomach. Sure enough, the baby responded with another playful kick.  
  
"Ow," Eve grimaced and then laughed aloud, "Geez, she must really like you, that's the hardest she's kicked for anybody."  
  
"It's...it's a girl?" His eyes sparkled in awe, and Eve felt tenderness gain total control of her heart.  
  
"Yeah. It's a girl. All tests say that she's healthy and happy. At least for now." She couldn't keep the bitterness from seeping into her voice at her last comment.  
  
Nash, however, was oblivious to Eve's turnabout of moods, and he looked up from her stomach, a grin so wide that she thought he was going to pull a muscle. Jumping to his feet he pulled her into his arms and kissed her hard on her mouth. He didn't know why he was so excited, after all there was so much ahead for them if they were going to get this baby to safety, but he couldn't help it.  
  
Eve giggled as Nash broke the kiss. "Wow, I didn't expect for her to get this warm of a welcome."  
  
"What's her name?"  
  
She met his gaze shyly, "Eden."  
  
Nash nodded. "Perfect."  
  
Eve bit her lip as she studied his features. "Nash, I just wanted you to know that...that she's as much yours. I mean, if I'd have been smarter, if I'd've listened to my heart, If I hadn't run, then she would be yours. I wish she was yours."  
  
Nash placed his hand underneath Eve's chin, and lifted it up until she had no choice but to look into his eyes. "She is Eva. And when we get out of here, we'll make sure that she knows that."  
  
"What if we don't?"  
  
His voice was grave as he spoke, but he wasn't going to lie to her. "Then I will stay here as long as I can, and I will take care of her to the best of my abilities. As long as I'm here, I'm not going to let them hurt her, Eva."  
  
Eve felt her eyes welling with tears. Nash knew what he was up against, but yet he refused to acknowledge it. He wasn't lying, either. He had told Eve the same thing when he had woken up in the hospital that day. He must love Eden, otherwise he would have been more realistic, more like himself. Love seemed to cloud his mind, seemed to make anything attainable, and she knew that he would die fighting for this child, if it was ever needed. If he promised, he would keep it, no matter what.  
  
"Eva. Listen, we're gonna try and get her out. But if it doesn't work, if she has to stay here, then so will I, okay? As long as I can. I promise."  
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	9. First Christmas

Title: No Greater Love  
  
Author: Amy Lock  
  
Authors notes: I wrote this because of the inspiration two friends gifted me with. While watching the pilot episode of DA with one of my roommates (I have gotten her totally addicted, and we've begun to watch every episode of season one until she's caught up), she asked the simple question of why Zack decided to lead the escape. Max said it herself, they didn't know anything better was out there. Well, my answer to that would probably be she didn't, but he did. This opening part is kind of a partial explanation as to how he knew that fact.   
  
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"Merry Christmas, Scott."  
  
Nash sighed and nodded his head in acknowledgment at the guard who he was replacing for the night.   
  
It was December 24th, Christmas Eve, and outside of the X5 barracks, everyone was jovial. From the janitors to the dietitians to the soldiers themselves, worries were temporarily forgotten as preparations for the next day were made. But as Nash stepped into the barracks, the atmosphere changed. Fear hung in the air, tears tainted the room. Near bare cots lay occupied with sleeping soldiers, the oldest not yet out of his "terrible two's". Christmas was not something to be celebrated here in the depths of man's abhorrence for its own kind. This was a place where spirituality was considered a sin, where the tune of 'Silent Night' was put to rest by torture and shame. This was a place where an ordinary childhood was the equivalent of heaven.  
  
Nash neared a cot with a familiar barcode imprinted on the footboard. Lying underneath the covers, barely shivering though covered by little, lay a tiny girl with distinct features on a young, impish face. Her hair, although barely there, was a soft, downy blond, her eyes when open revealed a startling blue. Had she been a normal little girl, he would have smiled with knowledge, knowing that when she grew up she would be a heartbreaker. Being who she was, though, he knew that she would break a lot more than just hearts.  
  
He was so caught up in his intent study of the girl, that he jumped when one large eye opened to peek out at him. Noticing that Nash was alone, the girl opened both eyes and sat straight up in bed with a giant grin plastered on her face.  
  
"Hiya!" She giggled with excitement at seeing the familiar face by himself. "Eva's very happy to see you." She winked at Nash with delight, playing with the name he had given her.  
  
Nash groaned, but couldn't help the chuckle that escaped his lips. "Eva, you know I don't like you calling yourself that. If you slip up and respond to that or call yourself that in front of one of the other soldiers, or worse- in front of Lydecker- than we're both gonna be in a lot of trouble."  
  
Eva furrowed her brow in an attempt to act serious. "There are no other guards in here tonight. Just you. And with you, my name is Eva."  
  
"And what if it wasn't me. What would your name be then?"  
  
Eva stuck out her chest and hopped to her feet on her cot. "X5-330, sir." Her military actions only lasted a few seconds before she collapsed beside Nash in a fit of laughter. "But, really, my designation is Eva."  
  
Nash tried to make his appearance be that of a scolding parent, but he failed miserably. Instead, he reached over and grabbed Eva around the waist, torturing her with playful tickles. She squealed quietly with delight, using her incredible will-power to not break into loud gales of laughter. The last thing she wanted was for her friend to get in trouble for showing her some affection.   
  
Nash knew that Eva wasn't really trying to get out of his grip. If she wanted to, the two year old could've knocked him out cold, it was in her potential. But she didn't. Instead she enjoyed playing with him, letting him think that he could take her.   
  
Nash heard a pointed cough coming from a cot beside Eve's and he stopped his tickling to turn around.  
  
"Hey little man," Nash said cheerfully to the small blond boy in the next bed over.  
  
599 looked at Nash with big blue eyes, clearly debating his reaction. Trying to stifle a disappointed sigh, Nash shifted, lifting Eva into his lap so that he could talk to the boy. He didn't blame him for holding out, his life didn't allow many opportunity for smiles. Still, he had been rewarded with them before, and he had been hoping for another, as a sort of Christmas present.  
  
To Nash's surprise, that's just what he was given. After another moment of contemplation, the little boy looked at Nash and his features lit with the most beautiful smile that Nash had ever received.  
  
It wasn't long before the realization that Nash was the only soldier on duty that night spread throughout the barracks, and within minutes, he was packed in on all sides by amazing, tiny children with barecodes on their necks.  
  
"So, why are you the only guard tonight?" 599 asked, inching just a little closer to the safety of Nash's aura.  
  
"It's Christmas, little man. Everybody wanted to be at home with their families."  
  
A little girl with the designation of X5-656 wrinkled her nose in confusion, "What's Christmas?"  
  
Sighing heavily, Nash hugged Eva closer, "It's a day when people on the outside gather together with loved ones. They sing songs and read stories and open presents."  
  
"Why?" This query came from a girl who was about two months younger than Eva. Her brown eyes were filled with confusion.  
  
Laughing, Nash leaned into the group a little more, filling the air with a sense of confidentiality, "I feel a story coming on. I'll tell you what-I'll explain to you about Christmas and how it got started, but you guys have to get into your own beds. If another soldier walks in I can't have him catching all of you out of bed. You can sit up, but it's gotta be in your own bunks. Okay?"  
  
As he looked at each child, they nodded solemnly and proceeded without sound to their respective places.  
  
Standing up and facing the children, Nash began his narrative.  
  
" A long, long time ago, there lived a man whose...designation was Joseph. He was a good, kind man who loved his country and his people very much. But his country and his people were torn by an evil king. They were confused and so they hoped for a miracle. Just like Joseph, these people wanted peace. Now, Joseph met a young girl one day, and pretty soon, he fell in love with her. She was a beautiful and sweet young woman and she was also very brave."  
  
"What was her designation?" Eva looked up at Nash with large, contented eyes.  
  
Chuckling Nash winked at her before continuing.   
  
"Her designation was Mary. And one day, Mary got some startling news. An angel came down from the sky to tell her that she was going to have a little baby boy."  
  
"What's an angel?" Nash glanced over at X5-615 with a smile. The little girl returned it with one of her own.  
  
"Well, an angel is a messenger. Typically we think of angels as being female, but in this case the angel was a male. His name..." Nash shot the children a pointed look at the stressed word, "was Gabriel. Angels are usually magnificent creatures with long, flowing hair and golden crowns on their heads. Most of the time they are garbed in white garments, and they have large, majestic wings on their backs."  
  
The story stopped as Nash heard gasps echoing throughout the room. Pausing, he looked over at X5-493 for an explanation.  
  
"They're anomalies," the little boy responded in a breathless whisper.  
  
"Oh! No, they're not anomalies. Angels aren't human, they're supposed to have wings. It isn't a mistake because of their genetics. Angels are immortal, they live forever, and their greatest hope is that one day peace will reign on earth." Nash glanced at the now calm children and smiled. "When I was a little boy, about the age of some of you, my father always told me that for every snowflake that landed here in this world, another angel had made a wish for peace."  
  
"So, anyway, this angel came to Mary and said that she was going to have a little boy. And Gabriel told her that she was to name this little boy Jesus. He was a gift, and he was to become the prince of peace. Mary was very happy, but she was also a little worried. She was still very young, and she was afraid of what Joseph would say. But she knew that she had to tell him."  
  
"What did he say?"  
  
Nash tried to suppress a chuckle at the trance the children were in.  
  
"Well, at first he was...confused. Maybe even a little sad. He was scared for Mary, and he didn't know how this would effect their relationship. But then he realized what a great gift this truly was. He knew that he could help Mary with the little boy, teach Jesus things that only a father could. And so Joseph and Mary were wed and they began to prepare for the baby. Well, just before the baby was about to arrive, Joseph and Mary had to take a trip. They were frightened, because they didn't know what was going to happen, but they knew that they had to leave. They were going to a city called Bethlehem. And it was there, that the little boy was born."  
  
X5-656 scrunched her nose in concentration, "Was the angel right? Did he turn out to be the prince of peace?"  
  
A thoughtful glaze came over Nash's eyes at the question, "Yes. But, you see, in order for human beings to have peace, we have to make the peace ourselves. Jesus taught us everything that he knew, to help us find that peace. But there is always evil in the world. The good news is that we can overcome the evil. And that's why people celebrate Christmas; because of all the things that Mary's little boy taught us."  
  
The barracks were filled with silence as Nash finished his story. He knew that the story didn't end there, and he also knew that he hadn't given the children the whole version. But he didn't have the time to explain the concept of God to them, nor was he sure if that would be a wise idea. The more he told the children of the outside world, the better chance there was that one of them would slip up and be punished for that knowledge.  
  
Nash shook himself from his reverie at Eva's tired yawn. He noticed that some of the X-5's had been lulled to sleep by his protective and calming storytelling, and most of the others had drooping eyes. He smiled softly and tucked the thin blanket tighter around her shoulders, fighting the urge to kiss her on the cheek like he did to his own nieces.  
  
"Good-night munchkins," he whispered, making his way slowly to his chair by the door. It was amazing just how silent a Christmas Eve with so many small children could be, but Nash was not happy about that fact. Despite himself, he had become severely attached to these children and knowing what they were in for made his stomach churn. He wanted nothing more than to take them as far away from Manticore as possible, but he knew that this was not an option. One guard and several toddlers would never make it past the perimeter of the most highly guarded government facility in the United States, at least not alive. Even the White House didn't have the amount of security that Manticore kept, and these children had not yet tapped into their special abilities which would help the escape. No, taking the children was not an option. But neither was leaving them there. Nash wasn't stupid, he had no falsities about who the children were and what they were created to do. The sharp black lines on their skin were a constant reminder of how different they truly were. And he also knew what they were to be used for. He had just started training that very week; special training that enabled him to guard the children once they surpassed the age of four. After that, a guard alone with them was a deathtrap. He knew all about the plan, about the "perfect soldier", and he had to admit to himself that these kids were pretty damn perfect. Not because of their DNA that allowed them to jump fences or take out highly trained operatives in the blink of an eye. Not because they were programmed to be the most beautiful human specimens. And certainly not because they were tortured and beaten into following orders. They were perfect because in spite of the fire and hell that consumed their lives, in spite of the fact that they were taught to never love, in spite of the fact that they were a combination of every creature on the earth, they were the most human children he had ever met.  
  
And so he began to think of a plan. He was the only guard that was ever allowed in the barracks alone. Whenever Nash was not around, there was always two soldiers on duty. But Manticore had been shocked to see that with Nash in the room the children were calm, collected and obeyed orders. He had been more than thrilled at this development, and as he spent more and more time alone with the kids, he became more and more concerned with the matter of getting them to escape. He found his solution in X5-599.  
  
Nash had given Eva a name, because it was what she needed. Her only hope was to understand that she was normal, that she was loved, and that there was more to her soul than a soldier. She was not scared of who she was and all she needed was a constant reminder of her humanity. X5-599 was different. Already he was consumed with a hatred for Manticore so strong, that he was put into physical training at the age of two. Giving him a name would only have hurt him, taunted him with what he didn't have. What he needed was hope and to understand that all humanity was not evil. And so Nash had given him a nickname full of love, the very name that his own father had called him. Little man. It had an underlying meaning, though, for that's what he was. A man. Already there was a ferocity and pride that exceeded far beyond his years, and Nash knew without a doubt that the boy cared for his fellow unit members with all his heart. 599 was the key to the X5's escape. If anyone had the brains and the strength to pull off such a daring attempt, it would be Kelly's son. All he needed was reassurance that what was "out there" was better than what was in Manticore. Armed with loyally, love and training, Nash had no doubts that the boy would succeed. He knew it wouldn't be tomorrow or the next day, or even a few years down the road, but it would eventually happen. For Manticore had forgotten something, something that would be their downfall. They had forgotten to take into account the will of a truly human soul.  
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"Eve!"  
  
Mandy's excited cry made Eve jump as she looked up from her novel. Bouncing into her room, Mandy flopped onto the bed, grinning from ear to ear.  
  
"Merry Christmas, Mandy." Eve tried to suppress a giggle at her friend's childish excitement, but failed miserably.  
  
"Merry Christmas, Eve!" Mandy reached over and pulled Eva into a choking hug, "Oh, and it's gonna be the best day ever!"  
  
Pulling away, Eve put a hand up to her now painful neck, "And why is that?"  
  
"They're letting me talk to Nick!"  
  
Eve's gaze snapped up in surprise to meet Mandy's twinkling blue eyes. They had had many a late night conversation talking about love and relationships and Eve's fear of commitment, and Mandy had helped Eve out a lot. And in those discussions, Eve had learned that Mandy, herself, was head over heels in love - she was engaged. Nick Carson was Mandy's high school sweetheart. They had been going out for four years before her nineteenth birthday rolled around and Mandy had gotten the present of a lifetime, her engagement ring. When Eve had asked about Mandy's feelings towards being engaged at such a young age, she had admitted that it was always the plan to wait until she was significantly into her twenties. But then love struck. And as Mandy said, true love is such a rare and wonderful thing, that you should never let it go.  
  
Nick was in the military, and so the couple was all too familiar with the goings on around that particular subject. That was kind of how she had ended up at Manticore in the first place. When she was a young teenager, she had been struck with a deadly form of ovarian cancer. There was some hope, though, and Mandy began treatments. She was very sick but through it all, Nick stayed by her side, and it was then that she realized just how hard she had fallen for him. The treatments worked, and she had been out of remission for a little under three years, but the medicine had taken its toll. She was told that she would never be able to conceive or bare children. The news broke her heart, but once again Nick was there to help her make it through. When Nick had heard rumors about Manticore's work he did a little research and found out that they might be able to help. After explaining the idea to Mandy, the two came to the conclusion that they should try. And so that was why Mandy was sitting beside Eve on Christmas day, and not by the side of her fiancé.  
  
"What! I thought there was supposed to be no outside contact." Eve's mind reeled at Mandy's excitement, her heart burning at the idea that this could all be some cruel joke.  
  
"There isn't. But since Nick is military, and since they've kept him in the loop, they say that I should be allowed to call him on Christmas. The call'll be monitored, of course, but it's so worth it. Just to hear his voice again, I can't imagine any better gift that I could be given."   
  
Mandy's excitement was contagious, and Eve felt her worries be pushed aside as she reached over to hug her friend.  
  
"Oh Mandy, this is awesome. Tell Nick that I say hi and that I hope all is well with him."  
  
Mandy smiled with bubbling happiness, but shook her head, "I'd love to, but I can't. I'm not supposed to mention any of the other surrogates since it's confidential information. I'm not even supposed to really say anything about the baby, but they're gonna have to go slack on that one, because there is no way that I'm gonna talk to Nick and not mention Pooh Bear. She's the miracle of a lifetime, and he deserves to know that it worked."  
  
"Yeah," Eve agreed, "He does. So when do you get to call him?"  
  
"Chris is gonna bring the phone in. I'm not even allowed to dial the number, he has to do it, and then someone'll be listening from another room. They threatened to cut the connection without warning if I start talking about stuff I'm not supposed to, so I'm gonna have to watch what I say. The last thing I want to do is not be allowed to say good bye."  
  
"I wouldn't hold it against them." Eve wrinkled her nose at the mention of the security that they tolerated, "but I'm sure that you'll have plenty to talk about other than Manticore. Even if it is just an hour of pet names and 'I love you's'."  
  
Mandy giggled at Eve's comment, then glanced at her slyly. "Speaking of 'I love you's', that new soldier seems to have a real thing for you."  
  
Eve flushed instantly at her friends comment, "Nah, he's just friendly, that's all. He seems like he's all business, and it would be very unbusiness like to fall in love with the person that you're protecting and guarding." She tried not to flinch as her statement dredged up memories of how Nash and her had met. The similarities of her previous statement and that of real life were cutting it close.  
  
"Uh huh, well what if he'd fallen in love with his 'protectee' before he was hired on here?" Mandy wasn't giving it up, and she had a knowledgeable smirk firmly on her face.  
  
"What are you talking about? I've never met Scott before in my life." Eve knew that her voice didn't sound too convincing, but at least she was telling the truth. She'd never met 'Scott' before.  
  
"Right," Mandy's voice was dripping in sarcasm, "Eve, you may be able to fool the other girls, but this is me you're talking to."  
  
"Mandy, I don't know what is going on in that pretty little head of yours, but I..."  
  
"Have a picture of him on your dresser." Mandy finished the sentence for her.  
  
Realization hit Eve with full force and she gaped at Mandy and then at the picture of Nash on her nightstand.   
  
"Yeah. You're lucky this time because I'm the only one who's been in your room. But if you want to keep the charade up, you better think of putting that photo away. Otherwise, it'll be all over that Eve and soldier boy are gettin' it on."  
  
Eve bit her lip and grabbing the picture, stuffed it savagely into the top drawer of her nightstand. The last thing she needed was for the staff at Manticore to figure out that Nash and her had a serious relationship and reassign him to a different post.  
  
Mandy looked at Eve's white face and couldn't help the giggle that formed on her lips, "Sweetie, it's okay. You're allowed to fall in love, you know. And it's gonna make things a lot easier for you with him here. Plus, you really don't need to worry. As soon as I figured it out, I knew that I had to tell you. Nobody else knows, okay? Calm down."  
  
"Okay." Eve tried very hard to let Mandy's reassuring tone wash over her. "Thank you."  
  
"No problem." Mandy's face scrunched in thought as she considered how to phrase her next question. "So, he, ah...works with the kids?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Does he...say much about them?"  
  
Eve looked at Mandy with suspicion, "Not really."  
  
"Oh." Mandy frowned in concentration. "So, he doesn't say how they're treated?"  
  
Eve's eyes flew wide open as she stared at Mandy. How in the world...?  
  
Sighing in frustration, Mandy leaned in closer to Eve, "Look, it wasn't just the picture that tipped me off. I kinda heard a bit of your conversation the first night, and I'm curious. I'm sure he's just trying to protect you and everything, but Eve..."  
  
Her comment was cut short by Chris knocking on the door. Without really waiting for a reply, he stuck his head in, a teasing smile very apparent on his handsome features.  
  
"Hey girls. Mandy, I think there's someone on the phone for you. He says his name's Nick, or somethin'." Chris burst out laughing as Mandy squealed with excitement and jumped off the bed. "Here you go." Handing her the phone he shot Eve a wink, and left the room.  
  
Immediately Mandy lifted the cordless telephone to her ear. "Hello?" she said, her voice breathless from her happiness. "Hello?" Her brow furrowed momentarily at the lack of response on the other end, and then her eyes lit up with a greater joy than Eve had ever seen. "Baby?" she exclaimed, her eyes filling up with tears, "Is that you? Oh...I know, I miss you too. Uh huh. Yeah." Her voice began to waver and she lowered it in order to keep in control, "I love you."  
  
Eve watched in silence as Mandy took her free arm and wiped away a stubborn tear that had fallen down her cheek. Reaching out, she gave Mandy's hand a squeeze, and was rewarded with a very grateful smile.  
  
"Really? How're they doing? Tell them I miss them too, and that I can't wait to get back. Only five more months now. Yeah, hard to believe. Well, I can't really talk about..."  
  
Eve gave Mandy a look, and Mandy smiled at her then nodded into the phone, "She's doing fine, really good." Another tear trickled down Mandy's cheek as her grin became wider, "Yeah, it's a girl. Uh huh. We better talk about something else now, baby. I'm not really supposed to discuss her too much. Okay."  
  
Eve gave Mandy's hand another squeeze and then nodded her head towards the door. Mandy smiled and then mouthed the words 'thank-you' in return. Eve felt a grin make its way to her own face as she opened the door to her room. Mandy deserved some time alone with her fiancé. After all an hour in nine months seemed more like seconds in the heart of two separated lovers. Eve knew that for a fact. She was just glad to see her friend so happy. As she shut the door behind her, she caught a few more of Mandy's words.  
  
"Yeah, they say it'll happen. Uh huh. Just think about it. In a few years, we'll have a whole bunch of little Pooh Bears running around the house..."  
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When Mandy's phone call with Nick had come and gone, small presents had been exchanged and the remaining women had devoured their special dinner, they repeated the scene at Thanksgiving; opting for living room conversation before desert. Once again when all the women were sitting, the giggles and stories commenced and the family atmosphere was struck up again.  
  
About an hour into the discussion, the women were so engrossed in their words that they didn't hear the door open and the new guard come on duty.  
  
Nash stood near the entrance to the living room, his eyes smiling with humor and admiration for these women. He waited for a suitable pause before he interjected his greeting.  
  
"Merry Christmas ladies," he announced good-naturedly, flashing the women a dazzling smile.  
  
Each woman looked up and grins illuminated their faces at the pleasant surprise. Like the children, the girls had become attached to "soldier boy", and his sparse guarding times were always looked to with great anticipation.  
  
"Soldier boy!" Mandy exclaimed, her voice even more joyful at seeing him again after her discussion with Eve, "What're you doing here? It's not your night to be on duty with us."  
  
Nash grinned and flopped himself onto the ground where he was facing the majority of the women, "Nope, but I switched with Randy. He wanted to go home to the missus, and I wanted to spend Christmas with my favorite girls."  
  
As the women around rolled their eyes and chuckled, Nash met Eve's eyes and the raw emotion there left her ducking her head at the hot flush spreading across her face.  
  
"What about the kids?" Megan asked this, leaning in a bit, so that she could talk to Nash easier.  
  
"They don't really do the Christmas thing," At the shock on some of the girl's faces, Nash rushed to continue, "They're from too many different ethnic backgrounds for them to be taught that only one religion is correct. Don't worry, though, I told them a story last night and they seemed to like it as much as a present."  
  
Maggie, who had made it to Christmas after all, shot Nash a playful look. "Well what about our presents?"  
  
"Sorry, I'm fresh outta candy canes," chuckling Nash held up his empty hands as a testimony to his statement.  
  
Maggie wasn't going to let it go that easy, however. Pouting out her bottom lip, she flashed Nash her best puppy dog eyes, "Aww, c'mon. It's Christmas and you didn't bring us anything? I thought that you were a gentleman."  
  
At that comment Nash let out a burst of loud laughter, "Well I sure as hell never said that."  
  
Jill had caught on to Maggie's game and continued it with flawless innocence, "You said that you gave the kids a story. We've been good. Don't we deserve a story?"  
  
Shrugging Nash gave in, "Ah what the heck. Sure, why not. What do you wanna hear?"  
  
Silence followed his question as each of the girls tried to think up a suitable request. Finally Alecia's eyes lit up as an idea flickered through her mind.  
  
"What's the most romantic thing you've ever done for a girlfriend?"  
  
Nash's smile disappeared at the challenge and an embarrassed expression became its replacement. "Oh...well, I'm not exactly the big romantic type. I can't really think of anything that..."  
  
Grinning at his obvious discomfort, Jill decide to push the subject, "Yeah right. I know you can think of something. Have you gone dancing in the rain? Had a moonlight picnic? Went walking on the beach?" At Nash's fumbled responses in the negative Jill laughed even harder. "Geez, soldier boy, have you ever even had a girlfriend?"  
  
Nodding his head, Nash kept his gaze towards the floor.  
  
"Have you ever been in love?"  
  
Eve stared in wide eyed shock at Mandy's question. She hadn't really just asked that, had she? She knew about Nash and Eve, and yet she had still egged him on like that. Eve felt her cheeks heat up once again, and was about to cut in and help him out when she realized that he had already answered. With the most crystal clear of voices, his eyes no longer averted to the floor, his answer had been a most decisive 'yes'.  
  
All the girls wicked glee melted at Nash's simple response. With a slight smirk, Eve noted that perhaps they had spent a bit too much time in this place when a soldiers declaration of love to an unknown woman would make them all swoon.  
  
"Really?" Maggie whispered, a soft smile playing at her lips. Any trace of her pouty playfulness had been swept away by Nash's statement. "Can you tell us a story about her then?"  
  
Frowning Nash shook his head. "I...I don't think so. It's complicated and I don't think that she'd really appreciate me telling a roomful of strangers about our lives, so..."  
  
"Please," Eve's voice stopped Nash dead in his tracks, "I'd really like to hear a little bit about this woman."  
  
Nash raised his eyebrow, and for a moment Eve thought he was going to say no, but then he shook his head in wonderment and threw up his hands. "All right, all right, you guys win. Geez, remind me to never try and argue with a roomful of pregnant women again."  
  
Nash waited until the chuckles and shifting of positions had ended, and then he began. "Well, we met when we were just kids. Our parents knew each other or something. Anyways, we couldn't stand each other. Truth be told, she was kinda a tomboy and she could lay it to me good. She thought I had cooties, and I couldn't stand the humiliation of getting whipped by a girl, so we didn't really speak much to each other." More chuckles could be heard and Eve knew that a loving smile was playing quite obviously at the corners of her mouth. "Then my family moved away, and I didn't see her for a very long time after that. When we finally did meet up again it was years later and I didn't realize who she was at first."  
  
"Where'd you see her?"  
  
"At a bar. I was there on...business. She kinda made my mind wander from why I was there, though. God she looked beautiful. She was pretty young at the time, but I didn't care. If she could manage to sneak into a bar at seventeen, then I figured that she was old enough for me to give it my best shot."  
  
"Did she turn you down flat?" Megan's question made Eve snort with laughter, but luckily the other chuckles covered it up.  
  
Nash had noticed it, however, and he sent her a devilish look before continuing, "Nope, she was all over me."  
  
Eve rolled her eyes, "Yeah right."  
  
Cassandra glanced at Eve and then back at Nash with laughter in her eyes, "Yeah. I thought this was supposed to be a true story."  
  
"Okay, okay. So she played it cool. The important thing is that I won her over eventually." Nash's teasing expression proved to everyone that he wasn't taking himself too seriously, and so the girls left him alone. "There was a big bar room brawl, and I used my military skills to stop it. She was kinda impressed, and we got to talking. One thing led to another and before I knew it, I was a goner."  
  
Mandy stole a glance at Eve, who winked at her. Nodding knowingly, she turned her attention back to Nash. "That kinda sounds like an abridged version to me."  
  
Laughing Nash shook his head, "Maybe, maybe not. But I can tell you that it is the only version you're gonna get out of me. So I suggest, although it is Christmas and everything, that you guys be heading off to bed now."  
  
"But we haven't even had our pie yet!" Jill whined, wrinkling her nose.  
  
Nash rolled his eyes. "Fine, have your pie, but then it's lights out otherwise I'm gonna be without a job tomorrow."  
  
Smiling at their slight victory, the girl's enjoyed another hour of desert and conversation before listening to Nash's pleadings and headed for their rooms. After a chorus of 'good-nights' and 'Merry Christmas's' silence reigned and Nash rubbed his face tiredly. He hadn't noticed where Eve had disappeared off to, and he had to admit that he was a little disappointed that she hadn't stuck around to say good-night to him. He had the memory of her face when he walked in, though, and he was grateful for that small miracle. He walked into the kitchen and poured himself a cup of tea before he headed back into the living room. He rolled his shoulders, trying to get the kinks and knots out, but as he set the cup down to rub his tired muscles, he felt himself being slammed into a wall. Before he could figure out what hit him, he felt Eve's warm lips upon his own.   
  
"Thank-you..." she whispered tearfully between kisses, "for being here. That was the best present you could have possibly given to me."  
  
Kissing her back hungrily, he let his emotions take over and he temporarily forgot where he was. As he ran his hands down her spine, his mind floated back to a time where things were less complicated, if that was possible. He was back at his apartment with her in his arms; before his job, or her feelings or Manticore had been able to tear them apart. He was once again at a time when the only thing that was important was her and how good it felt to hold her, to kiss her, to let the world slip by unnoticed.  
  
His momentary freedom didn't last very long. A loud cough broke through to his senses like ice water, and the soldier in him returned. Breaking apart, the two looked up to see Kelly watching them, a half annoyed, half amused expression perched on her face.  
  
"Well, if I had any doubts before, this sorta clears them up, doesn't it. You guys are damn lucky that it was me who came out here, and not one of the other girls."  
  
Nash felt a flush creeping into his cheeks at the lecture. At a loss for words he licked his overly dry lips, and gritted his teeth.  
  
Kelly looked at Eve, the amused half of her expression taking over as she took in the girls disheveled appearance. "You know, Eve, you're quite famous in the world of undercover cops and special ops personnel."  
  
"What?" Eve stared at Kelly in confusion, "Why?"  
  
"You're the weakness that made our most famed officer fall. His 'Achilles heel', so to speak. At least, I'm assuming it was you. You are the girl from the Pilot Bute mission, aren't you?"  
  
Eve blinked in surprise, comprehension still not with her. "How...how did you know?"  
  
Nash sighed heavily and ran a hand through his now messed up hair, "Because, you're an urban legend in the field."  
  
Kelly's smile got even bigger, "You still don't get it? Nash never had a single failure on any mission he'd been on. He was a regular super hero in the ranks. At least, that was, until Pilot Bute, when he let the guy get away and took a bullet for you that left him in the hospital for weeks. Lots of people still don't believe you even exist, since we got the guy within a month, but I knew better."  
  
The color had drained from Eve's face as realization dawned on her. "Yeah well, I've tried really hard to forget that night and what happened. You know, there's nothing that can wreck your day quite like almost getting the man that you love killed."  
  
Kelly placed a sympathetic hand on her shoulder. "Hey, that wasn't your fault. You know, we were told that once we put on that badge nothing should interfere with our work, not even love. But sometimes there are things no one can control. Just be careful. I want you two to be together as much as possible, but if you guys get caught and they figure it out, there won't be an ounce of good news in it for you. They already know that you were at Pilot Bute, Eve. They do extensive research before they'll even let anyone into the surrogate program. But they don't know who Nash is. And if they figure it out, they'll also figure out that he'll do anything to help you, and they will silence him. That's a guarantee."  
  
At the pained expression on both Nash and Eve's faces, Kelly shook her head with a sigh. "I'm not saying that you two can't cuddle on the couch or whisper 'I love you' to each other. All I'm saying is watch out for the heel, cause it'll only take one shot."  
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Wow, I thought some of the other chapters were long, but this is getting ridiculous. Still, I'm kinda glad if any chapter had to be this long, that it was this one, cause I'm finishing finals this week, then I'm going on a short vacation, then back home for Christmas. All things considered, I have no idea when the next chapter will be posted, so enjoy this one for all it's worth.  
  
I had a huge debate with myself about whether or not to put the whole 'Pilot Bute' thing in, b/c it won't be discussed extensively in this story. However, it brought them to a this critical point, and I am hoping to explore it further later on. If it's confusing, don't worry. You don't need to understand completely as long as you get the basic gist of it.  
  
Lastly, I'm gonna be doing some minor reworking to previous chapters b/c I reread it, and realized that some of the dates and birth orders of the X5's were out of whack. Since no one has commented on it, I'm sure that it's not a big deal, but it'll make me less confused, so I'm gonna do it anyway.  
  
Please review and if I don't talk to you before the 25th, have a very Merry Christmas. 


	10. Serpents Revealed

Author: Amy Lock  
  
Story: No Greater Love  
  
Disclaimer: We all know the drill, check previous chapters.  
  
AN: First off, sorry about the wait. I've had some family problems and what with Chrismas break and everything, I haven't been able to write, rewrite or post. Thanks for you patience. Hopefully now I'll start writing more frequently again.  
  
Secondly, I just want to make a little rant. For all those people out there who insist on calling Dark Angel the "knock-off of Buffy", would you mind watching the two shows, because I can tell you right know that James Cameron did not copy a single thing from Buffy to put in this show, unless you count the fact that it is a "girls kick ass" type show. If that's your reasoning, then Buffy should be considered a knock-off of Charlie's Angels, because that's been around a hell of a lot longer.   
  
(Sorry about that, it's just that it's one of my biggest pet peeves, and somebody called it that yesterday. I've heard it so many times that I wanted to complain. Thanks for listning. Tee hee.)  
  
One last thing, I don't know exactly what the New Year's song is called, so I just put it as I think it sorta sounds like.   
  
Enjoy. (Hopefully)  
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The end of December came upon the women quickly, and before they knew it the year 2000 had arrived. Although not a single girl there had ever dreamed they would spend New Year's of the new millennium in a secret government facility, they did enjoy themselves immensely. Maggie's little girl decided to make a grand entrance, and at 12:01 am on January 1st, little X5-392 became the first of the X series to be born in the 21st century. The moment was a bitter-sweet one as the girls began to realize their loss in numbers and stayed quite somber. While the rest of the world sang "Old Ang Lime" with much joy and excitement, the 1-X5 living quarters rang in the new year with a rather small and reserved party. Eve felt a mixture of both dread and excitement course through her veins at the stroke of the clock. No matter what, this year was to be a year that would change her life forever.  
  
January started out cold and blizzarding, but by the third week the weather had calmed to a beautiful breeze with the crisp snow reflecting the sun. The women were allowed to roam the yard once a day, but were guarded strictly. Despite the ever present presence of the guards, the outside times were ones of great happiness, often resulting in teasing snowball fights. Tests and doctor's appointments were upped for Eve, and she began to detest the countless needles being shoved into her arm. She wanted nothing more than to tell off the cocky doctors that were always questioning her in reproachful tones, and even the weekly appointments with the sweet dietitian, Hannah, were beginning to seem like a chore. Still she kept her cheerful demeanor, if for nothing more than Nash's sake. Since finding out that Mandy wished to join in the plan, he had been warning and instructing the two very carefully and Eve was not prepared to do anything that would betray Nash's well laid out plans. She would never forget the night in late January when he had spoken warningly to both Mandy and herself.  
  
"You can't leave now. These children that you're carrying...they're special. No doctor is going to understand what to do if something goes wrong. You have to wait."  
  
"Until when?" Eve's voice had been tense and her gaze had flickered between Mandy and Nash defiantly.  
  
"Until you're seven months along."  
  
"What!?!" Eve's eyes had grown large at his answer and she opened her mouth to protest, "But that's not until April. We can't wait until then..."  
  
"You can Eve, and you have to. Look, Mandy's a month ahead of you. Now with the exception of Maggie and Callie all of the Manticore babies have been born ahead of schedule. Most of them have been born a month before their due dates. If you leave now you risk the safety of the babies. But if you leave any later than April, Mandy could go into labor at any time. It's the only way to do it."  
  
And so they had agreed, each biding their time with an air of restlessness that they had not revealed before. Luckily everyone attributed it to the fact that their due dates were growing nearer and thought nothing of it. Thus, January passed into February and Gillette was hit with a very uncharacteristic warm spell for that time of the year. The snow began to melt leaving puddles of slush and mud which kept the women from outside. But as the sun continued to shine down, the slush disappeared and the mud once again became solid ground. By the time Valentine's Day arrived, the women's bellies were growing rapidly, the birds were chirping and spring was most definitely in the air. With the progression of time, however, came the decrease of women left in Manticore. After Maggie, Sarah had been next to deliver. Another girl was introduced to the world as another room became empty down the ever quieter hall. February the eleventh marked the first day that Jill's sense of humor had failed her. It was replaced by sober eyes that were glinting with pain. All went well, however and Jill's little boy was brought to the X5 barracks that very day, while Jill spent the night in a hospital bed, and left Wyoming forever the next morning.  
  
That left the number of surrogates on Valentine's at a grand total of five excluding Kelly. As Eve stretched and yawned, she couldn't help but smile at the birds song outside of her window. The quiet halls were driving her up the wall. Mandy rarely sang anymore. Brenna was gone so the piano music had left with her. Jill and Maggie's teasing and humor had been taken, leaving the space feeling rather empty. All in all a gloomy feeling had descended itself upon the women, and Eve enjoyed the tiny birds trill like never before.  
  
Yawning again, she swung her feet over the side of her bed and into her fuzzy pink slippers and matching robe. Shuffling her feet, she pushed open the door to her room and sauntered to the bathroom where she promptly stuck her toothbrush in her mouth. Groaning with her mouth full of toothpaste, she rolled her shoulders and tried desperately to get the painful kink out of her upper back. Although Eden's safety was her number one concern, she knew that she would be glad to be out of Manticore with her daughter safely in her arms for more than just one reason. This pregnancy stuff was hard. Her entire diet seemed to consist of dairy products spiced up with some strange addition. Sometimes it was pickles, sometimes it was chicken and sometimes it was ketchup. Mandy, who had yet to experience an odd craving, took a real joy in pestering Eve three meals a day about the stuff that she allowed to pass through her mouth. Then there was her back. No matter what, her back muscles refused to unknot themselves. She had sworn when she was in the middle of morning sickness that she would never complain again if only she could keep down her breakfast. However with that experience long gone, her resolve had broken down as well, and Nash spent an hour a night massaging her back and listening to her complaints in sympathy.  
  
When her teeth felt as clean as possible, Eve left the bathroom and shuffled back down the hall towards the kitchen.  
  
"Hey Eve," Megan, a tall and beautiful oriental girl was standing by the island in the kitchen talking to Cassandra, "Would you like a cup of coffee?"  
  
Eve shook her head and grimaced at a particularly hard kick in her belly, "No thanks. I just brushed my teeth."  
  
Megan laughed and shoved a steaming mug into her hands anyway, "C'mon, take one. It looks like you could use a little jump start to your day."  
  
Eve took a sip and wrinkled her nose, but her eyes twinkled merrily, "Yuck! Decaf. How's this supposed to wake me up?"  
  
Cassie winked, "Well, either Megan thought that the warm liquid might help, or she thought that one swig of this stuff will clear all your senses."  
  
Megan hit Cassandra playfully, and Eve snorted with laughter.  
  
"Where's Mandy?"  
  
Megan's brow furrowed in thought as she rubbed her stomach unconsciously, "I think she's still sleeping. At least I haven't seen her, and I've been out here since six this morning. This little butterfly doesn't seem to like sleep."  
  
Eve nodded in understanding, then raised her cup at Megan, "Thanks for the coffee. I'm gonna go check on her. See you guys later, okay?"  
  
As Eve trotted down the hall, she noticed that the coffee had woken her up a little. With a slight spring to her step she made it to Mandy's door and knocked softly.  
  
"Come in."   
  
A faint voice could be heard past the giggling in the kitchen, and Eve peeked her head into Mandy's room. Mandy was sitting rather awkwardly on the floor, her red hair loose and cascading over her shoulders. She was surrounded by small notebooks, writing paper and envelopes and she looked up at Eve with a friendly smile.  
  
"Hey."  
  
"Hey yourself," Eve replied, sitting down on Mandy's bed, "What's all this?"  
  
"Letters."  
  
"Well I can see that. But what are they for?"  
  
Mandy grinned and handed Eve a small black book. Flipping to the first page, Eve read:  
  
  
  
Hey Nick,  
Well, it's the first day here. Honestly, I'm terrified. I'm not sure why, but my nerves have been at me all day. The only thing that keeps me going is the thought of you and how we might be able to have our own children one day. Still, I hope that my fears calm down because I don't know if I can handle much more of this.  
The girls seem nice. As soon as I got here I met Anna and she took me to meet Kelly, who's in charge of everything that goes on with us girls. Anna's so sweet, and she seems to be quite far along too. Kelly's a bit more mysterious. She's gonna be an interesting one to get to know.  
  
Eve wrinkled her brow in confusion and flipped to another page.  
  
Nick,  
Well, the unthinkable has happened. I'm pregnant. I just found out today. The doctor's tell me that it's a little girl. At first I didn't believe them, but Anna convinced me that they were telling the truth. I can't believe it, Nick. There's a little baby growing inside of me. It has got to be the strangest and most wonderful sensation I've ever experienced. The doctor's also say that it's looking good for us. They figure that if I can carry this baby to term, then there should be complete hope for us with in vitro work. I call her Pooh Bear. It's too bad that she can't hear me when I tell her what a miracle she is.  
Oh yeah, and I found out a little more about Anna today. You know why she looked so far along (well besides the fact that she is pretty far along)? She's having twins! How cool is that? I was so excited for her...  
  
Eve's interest had been peaked, and she passed a few more pages until the next entry.  
  
Dear Nick,  
A new girl came today. The last of the surrogates for the X5 project. Kelly seemed like the weight of the world had been lifted off of her shoulders. I still can't quite figure that girl out.  
Anyway, this new girl's name is Eve and she is absolutely gorgeous. She seems sweet too, and she's sharp as a tack. There's one other thing I've noticed about her. I think she's in love. No, I don't profess to predict when people are madly and passionately in love with someone, but I CAN tell with her. I don't know. She's different somehow, different then all the rest of these girls. All of a sudden I'm not quite as worried about these next nine months. There's just something about her that makes me interested...  
  
Eve stopped reading and looked up at Mandy's beaming face with wide eyes.  
  
"Mandy, you...you wrote to him? You kept a journal?"  
  
"Uh huh."  
  
"Mandy, you know we're not allowed to do this, right? I mean, we were told that we couldn't have any contact where the outside world could hear about Manticore."  
  
Mandy sighed heavily and took the book out of Eve's hands.   
  
"I know, I know. But he's my fiancé, Eve. I've never gone more than two days without talking to him. I want him to be a part of this. It's something that's gonna affect both of our lives a lot, and I wanted him to know everything that's happened." Mandy looked at Eve closely, "You're not mad, are you?"  
  
"No. No of course not. Just...well, where do you hide 'em?"  
  
Mandy laughed. "In a hole in my mattress. Don't worry, they won't find them there."  
  
Eve thought this over for a moment, then her face broke into a radiant smile, "Well in that case, I say that you are the most brilliant girl I've ever met. Tell him I say hi."  
  
"I already did. In my Christmas entry. You asked me to say it on the phone, but I couldn't. So I wrote it in here instead."  
  
"Really?" Eve asked, delighted, "What else did you write?"  
  
The two spent the next few hours totally engrossed in Mandy's entries and reliving the past four months through her words. Eve couldn't believe how thoroughly Mandy had covered everything. She talked about Brenna's piano playing and the concerts they had put on, she talked about her late night conversations with Eve, she talked about the first time that "Pooh Bear" had kicked and she joked about little things that reminded her of Nick. Kelly and her emotional distance was constantly being dwelled upon and there was a frightened jumble of words every time a new surrogate went into labor. Both women were startled when Megan came to the door and told them that lunch was on. Quickly they hid the notebooks and letter paper back inside Mandy's mattress and set off for dinner. Only, however, after Mandy had promised to let Eve read some more before bed that night.  
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"Hurry up Eve," Mandy called, her voice breathless as she chanced a look behind her to see that Eve was catching up. Mandy's blue eyes sparkled with mischief and she stopped abruptly behind a tree.  
  
"Mandy, this is ridiculous." Eve declared as she caught up to her friend, "What is so interesting about the forest that you would risk getting caught and being watched even closer?"  
  
"It's not just the forest, I wanna look around Manticore. We've never been past the field outside our living quarters, and I've always been curious. Besides, if we get caught we act innocent. You know, 'oh I'm so glad you found us officer. We were talking and weren't paying attention to where we were going and we...we got lost." Mandy's bottom lip quivered dramatically before she burst into laughter. At Eve's frown she continued, "Oh lighten up, Eve. Don't you want to see what they're hiding over here?"  
  
Eve rolled her eyes impatiently. Of course she wanted to know, maybe even more than Mandy did, but she didn't want the soldiers to find them snooping around.  
  
It was a particularly sunny and warm day out. Valentine's day had passed with Nash again switching work times so that he could spend the night cuddled with Eve on the couch. But that had been two days ago, and Eve hadn't seen or heard from him since. Without his constant warnings, Mandy's interest had been piqued, and that was why, when the guard watching the women during their 'outside' time had to leave suddenly, Mandy had grabbed Eve's hand and dashed into the forest. Ten minutes later, they stood at the tree, and Mandy repeated her question.  
  
"C'mon. You can't tell me that you're not curious. I mean, Nash won't tell us anything, so there's gotta be something that they're hiding."  
  
"And what does that tell you?" Eve asked, her common sense still not wanting Mandy to win, "The only reason Nash would keep something from us is if it were for our own good. You know that."  
  
"Yes, I know that. But what Nash thinks is for our own good, and what actually is for our own good, are two different things. He's overprotective, any fool can see that. Besides, it's our children, Eve, not his. We have as much if not more right to know what's going on."  
  
Eve frowned, but couldn't find a real flaw in Mandy's logic. She had a point, they did deserve to know why they were running and what they were up against.  
  
"Fine." Eve declared a few moments later, "But we're being careful. I don't want anybody to see us."  
  
Mandy flashed a triumphant smile and nodded vigorously. Then she grabbed Eve's hand and set off again. Eve found it weird that they weren't getting more tired. They were five months pregnant, and had been cooped up inside their living quarters for the majority of that time. But for some odd reason, Eve felt like running through the forest at top speed was one of the easiest things that she'd ever done. Judging by Mandy's jovial attitude, she could tell that her friend felt the same way.  
  
Eventually the woods began to thin slightly and the two girls slowed their pace. They came across a river, and Eve took the time to marvel at the beauty of the grounds. Then they were off again, this time at a fast walk.  
  
"Hey Eve, can you imagine if this was your backyard? The kids here must love to play in it. Gosh, a game of tag would last forev...ouch!"  
  
Mandy stopped her sentence as she felt her toe collide with something very hard. Cursing under her breath, she bent down to look at the obtrusive object, and felt her breath catch in her throat.  
  
"E...Eve," she gasped, reaching a trembling hand to touch the cold stone, "Eve come here."  
  
Eve's head snapped around at the terrified tone to her best friend's voice and she was by her side in a heartbeat.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"Look," Mandy whispered, her voice shaking with tears.  
  
Eve looked where Mandy was pointing and felt her heart give a mighty leap in her chest. Her eyes widened in horror as she took in the tiny rectangular stone and she had to cover her mouth to keep from screaming when she read what was one it. A white insert had been placed on the stone and it read simply: X2-673. Underneath the number was the telltale black lines of a barcode. Eve felt her hand move from her mouth to her throat and the necklace around it. On the back she could feel the scratchings of another barcode on the necklace. Eden's barcode.  
  
"This...is a grave?" Mandy asked, finally looking up at Eve's face.  
  
Wordlessly, Eve nodded.  
  
"But, Eve, it says X2. Our girls are X5's." Mandy's eyes welled up with tears as realization hit her, "These were...people? Children?"  
  
Eve nodded again and somehow found the will to speak, "Some of them." she whispered, "It looks like some of them were." She pointed down the rows towards the more recent ones where a few graves with X4 was written on them.  
  
Mandy shook her head in fervent disbelief, "The X4's though...the oldest one is only seven."  
  
Once again, Eve nodded. She watched as her friends face crumpled and tears began to fall. Eve remembered her own reaction to finding out Manticore's treachery. She had sobbed for hours after Nash had stormed out that first night. There was no comparable experience to realizing that you had signed away your babies life to a bunch of madmen. There were no words to describe that devastation. And so Eve knelt beside Mandy and brought her trembling frame into a hug. When the worst of the tears seemed to be over, Eve turned and whispered in Mandy's ear.  
  
"Let's get out of here."  
  
Mandy nodded blindly and allowed Eve to help her to her feet. The walk back was much more somber, and Mandy's cheer was replaced by the occasional whimper. Other than that, silence reigned. They were halfway there when Eve heard loud voices nearby and her mind kicked into auto. Grabbing Mandy by the arm she pulled her in a different direction and sped off. The voices disappeared behind them, but new ones reappeared in front of them and Eve stood in shock for a moment.   
  
In front of them lay a large outdoors gym, with different weights, mats and exercise equipment. And on the mat was over a dozen young teenagers, two of which were engrossed in an intense hand-to-hand battle. Thinking on her feet, Eve once again grabbed Mandy by an arm and pulled her into a nearby bush.  
  
Both women crouched in their hiding spots, barely daring to breath. Their eyes were transfixed on the young girl and boy in the middle of the group. They looked to be about fourteen. The girl had short, chin length brown hair and her face was twisted in fierce concentration. Her body was lean and fit and she was very swift on her feet. The boy was a blond, with a military style buzz-cut. He too appeared to be in amazing physical condition as he dropped to the ground and swung his foot out to trip the girl. Landing on her back, the girl took only a second to throw herself back to her feet.  
  
Mandy gasped at the ease with which the girl had regained her footing. Without taking her eyes off of them, she whispered to Eve, "What are they?"  
  
Eve grimaced, "I don't know," she answered honestly, but a sick pain was beginning to form in her stomach as she watched the battle.  
  
The boy and girl circled each other, knees bent, arms in position. The boy swiped, the girl darted out of the way. They circled. The boy tried again. Again he missed and the weird circling ritual continued. This time, the boy lunged. However, the girl was much too fast for him. She leapt into the air mightily, her body flipping and flying over him with ease. Eve barely managed to restrain a gasp. In seconds, she had landed and kicked the boy between his shoulder blades, managing to get him on the ground. Throwing back her hair in triumph, the girl looked around, as if daring anyone to challenge her. When nobody spoke she dusted off her military pants and stood back in line, her body rigid.  
  
Eve stared in shock and amazement. She had seen many things while with Nash. Special ops officers had numerous and surprising tactics up their sleeves. But Eve had never seen anything quite like that fight. In a million years, Nash would never have been able to do what the young girl had just done, and he was twenty five. Eve felt her breathing become slightly distorted as the pain in her stomach became rather unbearable. No ordinary human being could have done those things. And yet, she had see it with her very own eyes. And she knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that she was looking at what her own daughter was to become.  
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Eve paced back and forth in the living room much later on that night. When Mandy and her had arrived back at the field where they were supposed to be, the guard on duty had also arrived and was looking very frustrated. However, in the state that the two women were in, it wasn't very hard for them to be convincing that they had gotten lost and were absolutely terrified because they didn't know how to get back. A relieved expression had taken over the soldiers face and he had accepted their explanation without much trouble.  
  
Now Eve waited impatiently, her mouth set in a grim line, her heart full of fury and confusion. The day guard had just left, thinking all the women to be asleep, and Eve knew that Nash was due any minute.  
  
Sure enough, the familiar sounds of the door scraping open quietly reverberated throughout the room no more than five minutes later. Eve whirled around to face Nash and was surprised to see the same grim expression on his face that was mirrored on her own.  
  
"Wanna tell me what the hell you were trying to pull today?" He asked, his voice low and deadly. When Eve didn't answer, his anger seemed to increase and his rantings continued, "What would have happened if you would've gotten caught? Did you think of that, Eve? Did you even consider the fact that if someone would have found you that you and Eden would have never escaped this place? What was so important that you had to go and risk everything?"  
  
"I don't know, Nash. Why don't you tell me?" Eve's voice was cold, and it froze Nash in his spot for a second.  
  
"Curiosity killed the cat, Eve." He warned, but some of the earlier malice was gone from his voice.  
  
"What are they?"  
  
Nash's eyes snapped up to lock on Eve's and his brow wrinkled in confusion and fear. "What do you mean?"  
  
Eve let out a low, bitter laugh, her eyes never moving from his. "I mean, there's something you're not telling me, Nash. What's so special about these children that the US military is so intent on hiding? Why do they want these children, Nash?"  
  
"Eve, I've already told you, I can't..."  
  
"Don't. I don't want to hear that." Her eyes were narrowed to slits and she watched him coolly, "I don't want to hear lies or excuses, because I've had enough of that crap. I want to know the truth. I deserve that much." Nash remained silent, his resolve still unwavering. "I want to know," she said, lowering her voice to a small but deadly whisper, "why their is a graveyard out back full of innocent people, many of whom are children."  
  
This time, her comment struck home.  
  
"Eve..." he whispered in horror.  
  
"I want to know," she continued more furiously, "why exactly it is that I saw two fourteen year old children fighting today. Children, Nash, being prepared for military combat. And I want to know, how exactly those children are able to jump ten feet in the air, drop kick their opponent and be ready for the next strike without breaking a sweat."  
  
Nash stared at the floor, a helpless expression on his face, and her voice became gentler.  
  
"They're not human, are they?"  
  
Slowly Nash raised his eyes to look into hers, and the hurt their was answer enough. But it was his words that stung and confused Eve the most. Simple words presented in such a hoarse voice and painful manner.  
  
"They're transgenic."  
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	11. For Mandy

Story: No Greater Love  
  
Author: Amy Lock  
  
Disclaimer: Not mine, see previous chapters.  
  
Author's Notes: Alright, well after I wrote the original version of this, I realized that it wasn't exactly how I wanted it to be. There was something missing. After talking to my internet buddy Kat, and my friend Naomi, I decided to rewrite it a little and make it a tad more clear. Here's a hint: the scene with Nick and Mandy is not a flashback. I'm sorry to anybody who wanted Eve to make it out with Max. Unfortunately she didn't in the show, and this isn't an AU fic. As much as I wish this could turn out happy, I want to stick with what we know. And the number one thing we know is that Max spent her childhood in Manticore.  
  
Please ask any questions in the review, and I will try to answer them in the next chapter for you.  
  
I tried to write this in a broken pattern, which is why there are so many stops and starts. I kinda wanted it to reflect how Eve would feel at the time, like everything was a little jerky. So if it's not as smooth as the other chapters, that's the reason.  
  
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"They're transgenic."  
  
Eve felt her insides recoil at his statement, her greatest fears now acknowledged. Still, she refused to give up. "What does that mean?"  
  
Nash let out a frustrated growl, but his voice remained hushed and sympathetic, "You know what it means, Eve. You're the one who aced genetics in both high school and university."  
  
Eve began to pace, her steps quick, her breathing uneven. "Well of course. I mean I knew that there would have to be some genetic alterations. I assumed that much. For children to be born with immunity against diseases, they would have to splice DNA..."  
  
"No."  
  
The simple word coming from Nash's mouth froze Eve momentarily in her tracks.  
  
"What do you mean, 'no'?"  
  
"I mean," he began, walking towards her, a look of concern clearly etched on his handsome features, "that they're transgenic. Not *just* DNA splicing, Eve. You know that. Would DNA splicing with immune cells and atigons allow children to jump twenty feet in the air? Would altering a *few* strands of these children's' genes honestly enable them to take out thirty armed guards?" Nash stood in front of Eve, his eyes showing concern at her shaking form. "They're soldiers, Eve. That's what I never told you. That's what I didn't want you to find out. You know the ethical debates that have been going on lately. I know you do because you always stopped our conversations to listen to them. You know more about genetics then these children do about themselves. You know that what Manticore is involved with is far more than curing diseases, even far more than just adding various human DNA to a petri dish and creating a soldier. But I don't need to tell you that, do I? You knew the moment that you laid eyes on those X3's."  
  
His statement was anything but accusing. Instead it was gentle and worried. Nonetheless, it caused Eve to tremble so hard that Nash was concerned for her safety. No tears were in her eyes, and the malice was gone from her voice. Instead a glassy finish had covered her chocolate depths, and he knew that she was in shock. He steered her to the couch and when they were seated, he brought her face upwards so he could look in her eyes. What he saw there scared the hell out of him.  
  
"She...she's not my child?" The pained wonderment in Eve's voice made Nash's heart break.  
  
"No. She is Eve." Nash's eyes burned suddenly with pent-up fury, "Screw them. All of them. They think that these children belong to them, that they're worth nothing more than slaves for the military. But, Eve, these children have souls. They're amazing. You just have to meet them once to realize it. That's all it takes." He stared at her imploringly, begging her to understand, "Look, I know that this is an awful thing to have to deal with. But I can guarantee you that Eden is as much yours as any child you could have had outside these walls. The only difference is that she's better. She's more evolved, that's all, she..."  
  
"Doesn't even have my DNA." Eve looked up at Nash, the tears beginning to form as the truth swam in her mind. She knew what Nash had meant. One of her favorite subjects in school was genetics, and they had had these debates before. She knew it was entirely possible, to take pieces of other creature's DNA and mix them with a humans. To make a person that surpassed anything evolution would offer over the next dozen centuries. As it stood right then, debates were flying about whether or not to use the technology they had accumulated on genetic engineering. Already parents were wanting to be able to "program" their children. Eve just never guessed that she would be so securely in the middle of the controversy. Looking up at Nash she hoped to gain strength from his love but she noticed something that made her blink in utter confusion. He was smiling softly, gentle pride playing with the corners of his mouth.  
  
"What are you smiling at?" she managed to gasp out.  
  
"Eve," he whispered tenderly, brushing a tear from her cheek, "Have you taken a look around you lately? Haven't you noticed anything peculiar about these women?" At Eve's blank stare Nash sighed softly, "When was the last time that you were able to sit down and argue the debt of the third world country or the benefits of globalization so deeply with a group of young teenage girls? When were you ever able to sit with your friends and listen to them plunk out a fifty minute piece of music by hearing it once? When did the fact that half of these girls can multiply like the world's best mathematicians become so mundane? And when," he continued looking at her with glowing eyes, "was the last time you saw a roomful of pregnant women when every single one of them looked more beautiful than the highest paid super models?"  
  
"Eve, did you think you got accepted into this place out of luck? Do you honestly believe that the talents you girls possess is just a coincidence? They tested you, Eve. Blood samples, IQ tests, doctor's visits...they had access to all of that. They chose you. They chose all of you. And there is a little piece of you in each one of your children."  
  
Eve stared at him in disbelief, fresh tears streaming down her face. But this time, the tears were ones of happiness. So Eden was hers, nobody could deny that. Amongst the animal DNA and the best genes possible, her daughter had a little bit of her. The best of her. The part worth giving. She had never, no matter how fleeting, questioned her love for Eden. She had, however, questioned her right to her. But now new resolve coursed through her veins. This was her daughter, and if it took fighting till the very end, then she would save her.  
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Days passed slowly, but like it has done for years, February turned into March, March into April and the long awaited seventh month arrived. Mandy was due on the 14th of May, and so the plan was to leave exactly a month prior. But as the time went by, the two women became increasingly frightened. Mandy had a false alarm on the second of April, and when she came back her face was so pale Eve was worried for her health. The one good thing about waiting so long was that with every surrogate who delivered and left Manticore, the guards became more lax. By the time the number was down to three, leaving only Alecia, Mandy and Eve, the guards considered their job a piece of cake. They were constantly leaving the women on their own, their minds already beyond Eden's birth to a time when they would be able to get a "better" job than sitting around and watching three pregnant women pace nervously. As the fourteenth day of April neared, Eve and Mandy's stress level escalated. The doctor's noticed and tried everything possible to lower it, from medication to prescribed bed rest. Beyond those attempts, however, the doctors seemed concerned with very little. The babies were extremely healthy and in good condition, and they assumed that the two women's case of nerves were due to the upcoming labor. The only person at Manticore who seemed the slightest bit suspicious was Hannah. As the numbers on the calendar grew larger, so did the amount of vitamin supplements the dietrician handed out, and the nonchalant tidbits about goings on outside of Manticore. Although Eve was fully aware of Hannah's comprehension of the situation, she was not in the least bit worried about her. She knew that if Hannah's loyalties were to ever be tested, they would lie strictly with the surrogates. She seemed to hate her job almost as much as Nash.   
  
On the night of the thirteenth, Eve sat on the couch, waiting. Fear flew in her stomach like birds of prey, devouring any feelings of light and happiness. Visions of small children lined in rows and grid formations fogged her mind. Pictures of the same children crying in pain and fear cut off her oxygen supply and she found it increasingly difficult to breathe. She watched as the clock ticked noisily. Nash wouldn't arrive for another hour, and the day guard had been gone for two. Staying in her room seemed like some sort of cruel torture, and so she had taken up her vigil in the living room, counting the seconds much like some people count sheep. As another minute ticked by she felt another familiar flood of anxiety, and closing her eyes, she willed herself to conjure a pleasant thought. But none came. Instead as she felt herself being tugged into sleep, she saw before her nothing less than a nightmare. Cots lined the walls, tiny sleeping figures dressed in stark, uncomfortable hospital gowns slept fitfully. From far away she could hear screaming. Terrible, childish yells for help, and she turned towards the voice. As she did so, she found herself staring into the eyes of a small girl, no older than three years with big brown eyes. The girl was whimpering in fear and as she saw Eve, she held out her arms to her, looking for comfort. Eve tried to move towards her, she tried with all her might, but an invisible force seemed to be holding her back. The girl's cries were getting louder and great tears were cascading down her chubby cheeks, but try as she might, Eve could not get near the bed. Just as the screams were reaching a deafening roar Eve heard her name being called and she felt the warmth of an embrace upon her.  
  
"Eve. Eve, wake up, you're dreaming. Eve?"  
  
Eve's eyes fluttered open to reveal Nash staring at her, a look of concern in his deep green eyes.  
  
"Are you okay?" He asked urgently.  
  
Eve didn't trust her trembling lips to form a coherent sentence, so she opted for nodding.  
  
"Bad dream?" He whispered, pulling her closer into his arms.  
  
Again Eve nodded, still making no attempt to move from Nash's embrace.  
  
Nash ran a finger down her cheek, calmly coaxing her back to sleep. Running his fingers through her silky hair he whispered to her. "It's okay. Get some rest. You're gonna need it for tomorrow."  
  
Eve mumbled something sleepily, shifting in his arms. Her eyes closed once again, and Nash wondered if she had ever fully woken up. Just as he was sure she had drifted off, she began to speak again.  
  
"Watch out for her Nash. Please. Watch out for Eden."  
  
Nash started at her words, but continued to stroke her hair softly.  
  
"Shhhh. It's okay. Everything's gonna be all right. You'll get her out tomorrow. And then you can watch out for her yourself, okay? She won't have to stay here. She won't need me to look out for her. Everything's gonna be all right."  
  
But, as always, Eve was intent on having the last say. Turning over again, she whispered once more before sleep claimed her. When she woke up the next morning, she had no memory of her brief premonition.  
  
"She's scared, Nash. Look after her. I don't want her to be scared."  
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Eve didn't know how she got into her bed, all she knew was that she had. For it was there that she woke up at four in the morning to the sounds of aggrieved crys outside her door. Stumbling blindly to her feet, she didn't even bother putting on her slippers. Instead she raced to the living room to find a scene of mass chaos. Alecia sat on the couch, Nash at her side barking impatient orders into his radio. Kelly was already at the scene, her mouth set in a grim line, and Mandy was emerging from her bedroom.   
  
As Eve moved further into the living room the door to their quarters swung open violently and Chris came in accompanied by a doctor and another soldier. Eve stared in fearful confusion as she watched Alecia continue to sob in pain, and Nash turn to Chris to explain the situation. Chris nodded and turned to the doctor who shook his head in determination. The two whispered quickly beneath their breaths, shooting anxious glances at Alecia. As they did so Nash motioned for Kelly to take his place at the young girls side and made his way to where Eve and Mandy were standing.   
  
"What's the matter?" Eve asked the moment Nash was by her side.  
  
"She's in labor, but the baby's early. Too early, even for an X5. The doctor's aren't sure what that'll mean for the boy, but there's not much for them to do now except take her to delivery."  
  
Mandy frowned in concern for her friend, "Is she gonna be all right?" Another cry from Alecia punctuated Mandy's question, and Nash stared at the girls in dismay.  
  
"She should be fine. But like I said, we don't know about the baby. Either way, you have to leave. Now."  
  
Eve's eyes widened at the sudden turn in conversation and she shook her head in shock.  
  
"Eve, you promised to listen to me. And I need for you to stick to that. This has never happened before. If any of the X5's were early it was always because they were ready. This little guy's not, and I can tell you right now that mass confusion is circling in the ranks. It wasn't how we planned it, but there's never gonna be a better time than now to do it."  
  
Eve stared at Nash, half-expecting him to proclaim this all some weird joke. But from the look on his face she could tell that he was anything but joking.  
  
"Nash, if we leave now it's on you. You're the guard on duty. You're the one who's supposed to be watching us. They've gotta already figure something's going on with me and you, it's too obvious. If we leave now...they'll figure it out Nash. And something tells me that Manticore doesn't take too kindly to traitors."  
  
Nash's eyes flashed with dispair, "Just do it. Don't worry about me, Eve. Just look after yourself."  
  
"I am." She whispered, her voice shaking with emotion. "And I always have. You are a part of me now, Nash." Placing a trembling hand over her heart she willed him to understand, "You're in here. That's something you've never gotten. Every time you do this hero business you risk me too. Every time you get hurt, you hurt me too. You can't escape from that, Nash. I know, I tried."  
  
"Eve," he began, but she cut him off before he could protest.  
  
"I love you."   
  
Nash stared at Eve's pale, trembling frame, and for the first time since the night in that garden, he allowed himself to belief her. Reaching over, he brushed a tear away with the pad of his thumb.  
  
"I know. I know you do, Eve. Now let me prove the same thing. Please, just go. Give Eden a life outside of this place, because I guarantee that she won't have one in here." Nash wanted nothing more than to kiss her, to say goodbye in a way no words could describe, but he knew that time was running short so he whispered one more thing before he turned back to Alecia.  
  
"Please Eve. Please go."  
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"Come on, Mandy. Hurry up."  
  
Eve's whisper was hoarse and worried as she darted behind a wall, narrowly escaping a group of guards. As Mandy appeared beside her, she couldn't help but notice that her friend's breathing had gotten a lot more sporadic in the past half hour that they had spent working their way quietly throughout the corridors.  
  
"Are you okay?" Eve shot Mandy a look of complete concern as her friend swayed slightly.  
  
"Yeah," Mandy breathed, touching a hand to the wall in an attempt to steady herself, "Just a little dizzy."  
  
Glancing around, Eve shot an anxious look at the backs of the disappearing guards. "We can stop for a couple minutes if you'd like. We don't have much time, but I don't want you passing out..."  
  
"No," Mandy responded with as much intensity as she could muster, "No, we've gotta keep going. Can't stop now."  
  
"Are you sure?"  
  
"I'm sure."  
  
With one last glance at Mandy, Eve nodded in consent. "Okay. But we're gonna take it slower. We can't let you get played out. Let's go this way."  
  
Eve pointed down a dimly lit hall and began to walk down it, casting furtive glances in both directions. Upon seeing that it was all clear, she motioned for Mandy to join her, and the two women were off.  
  
Eve was slightly worried. Quite a bit of time had passed since they had slipped, unnoticed out of their quarters. Too much time. She had been hoping to have been out in the yard by then. But Nash had been right. Alecia's premature labor had set Manticore in a fury and guards were running every which way, guided on by superiors shouting orders. The two girls were only able to walk short distances before having to stop and hide, and Eve's heart was beating so rapidly she was worried about going into labor herself.  
  
'Just what we'd need." She thought sadistically as they rounded another corner. The sight that met her made her thoughts leap for joy. In front of her lay the door which led outside to the surrogate grounds. Stopping momentarily to check on Mandy, Eve silently opened the door and felt a twinge of hope permeate throughout her being.  
  
The sun glared down, giving Eve a renewed strength, and she took off at a jog towards the forest. Her mind was reeling with anticipation of what was to come. The day when she could hold Eden in her arms and see with her own eyes that she was all right. The time when Nash would be able to free himself of his Manticore constraints and join them in a life outside of this terror. Eve even allowed herself to dream of things further down the road. As she passed the trickling river she imagined Eden's first swimming lessons, her first day of school, her birthday parties. She imagined the chance of a normal life with Nash by her side, a wedding where Eden could be the flowergirl.   
  
As they ran further Eve recognized instantly that they were entering the graveyard. As much as she dreaded to pass through it again, she knew that it was the only way to get to the least-guarded exit. Pushing the thoughts of the tombstones to the back of her mind she swore that Eden would have a wonderful life. Sure, bad things might happen, but she would always be there to comfort her. To chase away the demons after a nightmare, to pick her up and dust her off after falling off a two-wheeler, to help when times seemed too much to handle, to simply just be there when Eden needed a mother. Those were the things she was looking forward to the most. Those were the things that...  
  
"Eve!"  
  
Eve spun around instantly, her blood growing cold from the panic in Mandy's voice even before she caught a glimpse of her friend. Mandy's face had gone incredibly white and she was doubled over, her breathing coming in short, ragged gasps. Eve watched in horror as the pain in Mandy's stomach grew, her face twisting at its torment. And then she was expressionless. Running towards her friend she made it in time to catch Mandy before her head hit the ground.  
  
"Mandy?" She whispered urgently, "Mandy, please, get up. We have to go. They'll catch us if we don't. Please Mandy."  
  
But Eve knew that her pleadings were to no avail. Something was wrong. Mandy had always been a perfect specimen of health and happiness. She had never fainted before in her life. At least, not until now.  
  
"Please Mandy. I...I can't leave you here. Wake up. Think of Nick, think of how happy he's gonna be to see you. Think how happy you're gonna be to see him again. Mandy?"  
  
And that was when she saw it. A puddle of blood on the ground beneath her friend. Eve let out a strangled gasp and closed her eyes, trying to will the sight away. But when she opened them the same scene greeted her. Mandy was still in her arms, appearing lifeless, but breathing. Whimpering quietly Eve assessed her situation. If Mandy were able to talk, Eve was very aware of what she would say. She would beg her to leave, to spare herself and Eden what she wasn't capable of giving her own little girl. But Eve knew that she had become too close to Mandy over the past eight months to be able to leave her like this. Images flashed through her mind, causing her eyes to tear up.  
  
She recalled the first day that she had met her, the pride shining in her eyes as she declared her pregnancy to this complete stranger. She remembered the laughter that had made her shine whenever a joke or story was told. The night when Mandy had seen right through her, proclaiming the love Eve was so reluctant to share. The talks about Nick, and the afternoons spent together, discussing life, love and their children. But most of all, Eve remembered the hope and love that Mandy had shown to her, the life that she had given back, the trust that had been restored.  
  
That was why, her mind was made up so easy. And that was why she kissed Mandy softly on the cheek before whispering in a voice that even a transgenic would have to strain to hear, "I'm so sorry, Eden."  
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Mandy awoke to feel Nick's arms wrapped protectively around her. Smiling contentedly she opened her eyes and peeked through the thick lashes to the room around her. The walls sparkled like radiant crystals, and the bed that she lay in was off the softest white fabric she'd ever seen. It was unlike any room she had ever set foot in, and she had no idea where she was. Still, the fact didn't frighten her. Instead she snuggled deeper into her loves touch and sighed softly.  
  
"Hey baby," she heard him whisper softly into her ear "You okay?" His voice rang in her ear like the sweet melody of harps and she turned to place a feather light kiss onto his lips.  
  
"Yup. Better than ever, actually." She smiled up at him and he returned it.  
  
"You know that I love you, right?" He asked quietly, entangling his hand with her own, and pressing a kiss to her shoulder. The sparkling of the room around her made Nick appear as if he had some sort of glow to him.  
  
"Of course I do." She responded, her brow furrowing slightly at his sorrowful expression, "Baby, what's the matter? Why do you look so sad?"  
  
Nick met her eyes, his own filling with iridescent tears. From somewhere in the back of her mind she heard the faint, snapping voice of someone saying 'Forget the girl, she's not important. Just make sure the baby lives'. Shaking it off, she looked back up into the eyes of her fiance, imploring him to confide in her. She had never seen such an look on his face, and it broke her heart to see the simple pain. Reaching up she tried to offer him comfort in the feel of her touch, the love in her voice. Nick seemed barely able to hear it, though. Instead he gazed at her imploringly.  
  
"I have to go away for a little while, Mandy. I don't...I don't want to, but I have to." His voice was barely above a whisper as he brushed a strand of red hair from her face. A face which he loved above all else. "I just wanted to make sure that you knew how much I love you, that I'll come back to you."  
  
Strangely enough, Mandy felt oddly at peace with his proclamation and she nodded. "Okay. I trust you." Tilting her face upwards she brushed a kiss past his lips one last time. "I'll be waiting."  
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Far away, broken sobs wrecked the silence of the otherwise still and locked room as Eve lay in a corner, her crys echoing the pain of yet another loss, her mind repeating what they had told her. "She didn't make it." 


	12. A Mother's Duty

Title: No Greater Love  
  
Author: Amy Lock  
  
Disclaimer: Not mine. See previous chapters for further "not mine"'s.  
  
Author's Notes: Okay, before you read this, go back and read chapter eleven. I rewrote it so that it makes a lot more sense. The only reviews I've gotten for that chapter happened before the revision, so even those people didn't get to read the proper chapter eleven. It's pretty crucial to the story that you understand what happened then. And thanks goes out to Zanna and JoJo for their reveiws. Unfortunately I have no excuse for such a dumb mistake other than I have no beta, and I hate revising. Sorry. I changed it, though, b/c she is quite right. The barracks do seem squeaky clean and well kept.  
  
Secondly, this fic is nearing the finish line. I'm expecting there to be either fourteen or fifteen chapters, so I'm hoping to be finished before Valentine's Day. Then maybe I'll have a chance to write some fluff. :) Anyway, please enjoy the chapter and please, please, please review. I thrive off of it.  
  
This chapter is dedicated to Kat, b/c she unknowingly helped me rework it a lot. And she made me feel much better about this story, so thanks for that.  
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The bar swam in and out of his vision, the bleak setting reflecting his equally melancholy mood. He savored the liquid as it burned a single, painful path down his throat, joining the rest of the alcohol that he had consumed. Signaling to the bartender for another shot he mentally berated himself again. He should have known better. He had been planning successful raids and escapes before he was out of his teens. By the time he had reached twenty two, he was famous in the world of his work and now he couldn't even get two women out of a facility that was in shambles. It had been the perfect opportunity...and he had botched it.  
  
'Well,' he thought, angry amusement flickering across his features, 'you know what they say, man, love clouds the mind.'  
  
'Shut-up,' he warned the voice fiercely, and to back up his inner comment he downed another tiny glass of the burning alcohol.  
  
If he'd have been smart, he would've separated them. Then at least one of them would have made it safely out. In all actuality, that had been the first plan. They would leave on the same day, but in different directions. But the girls had firmly rejected his idea, and Eve had pointed out that they might need backup. So he allowed them to go together. He would have rather had both of them be caught, then for one of them to get injured attempting escape, and die all alone. They both had too much to live for.  
  
'A lot of good that did.' The angry voice persisted, 'Didn't help Mandy at all, did it? She died anyway, and it's all on you.'   
  
Nash felt his gaze blurring again, this time from tears, and he took another quick swig.  
  
His mind flashed back momentarily to Mandy's pale body in his arms, her breathing uneven and ragged. Blood was seeping from a superficial cut in her leg, due to her fall. But it wasn't the crimson staining her nightshirt that scared him. It was the fact that Mandy had fainted. He wasn't a doctor, he didn't know what was wrong with her, but he knew that it wasn't good. Mandy was whiter than a dove and and he could feel her muscles spasming painfully.   
  
"Bartender," he yelled, his mind returning to the present, and his words becoming increasingly difficult to decipher, "I need another one."  
  
Larry, the bartender, walked slowly over to Nash, his mouth a frown of pity. He had seen these guys before; idealistic soldiers, expecting to change the world. When it didn't work, they all seemed to find amazing solace here.  
  
"Sorry, man," Larry said, taking Nash's drink and flashing him a saddened look, "No can do. I think it's time that you went home now."  
  
Nash looked up, his large green eyes wounded, "I don't have a home," he said in a heartbreaking whisper, "Nowhere for me to go."  
  
Larry stared for a moment, his heart going out to the mysterious young man. He had thought he'd seen it all before, but there was a look about this one that made Larry think his story might be the worst.  
  
"Home is where the heart is." Larry reminded, hoping the cliché would make the man understand that his life really wasn't so bad. All of sudden, he desperately wanted that message conveyed to his customer. He was afraid that if he didn't prove it, the man might go back to where he came from and take a bullet to the head.  
  
"Yeah well, my heart's kinda in more than one piece right now, and in even more different places. If you wanna pick one, then I'll be more than glad to oblige you."  
  
"Look man...what's your name?" Larry asked, hoping to persuade the guy that somebody could care.  
  
"What's it to you?" Nash had meant for his voice to be nonchalant, but it came out as more of a pissed off gurgle.  
  
"I just wanna know."  
  
Nash stared hard at the man behind the counter wearing the name tag emblazoned with 'Larry'. After a quick assessment he came to a conclusion.  
  
'Who really gives a damn if he knows what you're name is? What life have you honestly got that's worth protecting anymore?' His inner voice sneered at him, but instead of retaliating, Nash just shrugged. The reasoning seemed good enough in his befuddled state.  
  
Just as Nash was about to answer he heard a strong voice behind him, "Orion."  
  
Startled, Nash turned around and stared at the man weaving his way towards him. It took him a moment to realize who the man was, and another moment to realize who he was referring to.  
  
'Oh yeah,' the nicer inner voice recalled, 'Yeah. My name isn't Nash McCloud here, is it? It's...Scott. I think that's it. Yeah, Scott Orion.'  
  
As the realization dawned, so did proper military etiquette, and despite his troubled state, Nash was on his feet, his arm positioned in a crisp salute.  
  
"Good morning, Col. Lydecker, sir." He barked, all trace of his drunkenness disappearing. Well, almost all of it. If he had been his normal, perceptive self than he would have noticed Larry shaking his head from side to side, his eyes wide in disbelief.  
  
"You're one hell of a soldier, kid," the bartender whispered under his breath.  
  
"Have a seat, Orion. No formalities are needed this morning."  
  
Nash sent Lydecker a dubious glance, but returned to his bar stool.  
  
Signaling Larry over, Lydecker handed the bartender a couple bills.  
  
"Bring him another drink."  
  
Larry opened his mouth to protest, but at the determined and weary look on the Colonel's face, he decided against it. A second later, another couple shots were placed in front of Nash.  
  
Unsure what to make of his superior's surprising offer, Nash looked at Lydecker out of the corner of his eye. "Thank you, sir."  
  
Lydecker nodded curtly and took a sip of the water he had asked Larry for.  
  
"Woman troubles, Orion?"  
  
With a painful jolt his mind returned to that day and the fear that clutched his heart as he watched the doctors operate on Mandy through a window to the operating room. His fingers trembled as he remembered the one coherent word she had kept repeating over and over again... 'Nick'.  
  
"Yes, sir." He muttered underneath his breath. "How could you tell, sir?"  
  
Lydecker's lips turned into a half smile, half grimace. "Only reason that a soldier like yourself would be in this bar at 0800 in the morning." At Nash's lack of response Lydecker sighed. "In all honesty, son, I've been in this situation myself."  
  
Nash had to repress a snort. 'Oh, I don't think so, Colonel.', he thought bitterly, 'I don't think you know what it's like to hear the doctor's say that they don't give a damn about a young girl's life, as long as their precious science experiment works out. I don't think you realize what it's like to stand there helpless as the only people capable of saving one of the most extraordinary people you've ever met, condemn her to death because they're just too damn arrogant to consider that she might have had a purpose in life other than to serve them.'  
  
Instead of spilling his thoughts, however, Nash simply gritted his teeth and took another drink. "Want one?" he asked, gesturing at the Colonel with his empty cup.  
  
Lydecker let out a hollow laugh. "Thanks for the offer, but I'm afraid my 'sponsor' might not like that."  
  
Nash glanced at him in surprise. He could tell that the crack about the sponsor was false. Lydecker would never accept help from what he considered to be an 'inferior'. But he could tell that the unspoken part about being an alcoholic was true.  
  
"I'm sorry sir." He mumbled, "I didn't know."  
  
Lydecker shook his head, an expression of simple understanding very apparent on his face.  
  
"She must have been something."  
  
Flinching at Lydecker's unknowing referral to Eve, Nash thirstily drank another shot.   
  
"She is." He finally managed after the burning sensation had subsided.  
  
"Ah," Lydecker's head bobbed in acknowledgment, "So she's alive. I was wondering if maybe that's what was eating at you."  
  
Nash's eyes flashed with unconcealed fury.  
  
'Yeah,' his mind raged again, 'Yeah, she's alive. No thanks to you and your goons. But I have no idea where she is. Or how she feels about you bastards taking her child away from her. I could make an assumption though, *Deck*. I'd say that she probably wishes she were dead after finding out that the best scientists in the world couldn't save her best friends life. I wonder how hard they really tried, huh? What do you think, Deck? Oh, and do you think that she's in good spirits now, after they locked her in a cell for two weeks then forced her to deliver and give up her first child? Do you, Deck? Because I sure as hell don't think she's faring too well. And because of you, there's not a damn thing I can do to help her."  
  
But he didn't say this. Luckily for him, he had always been good at controlling his outer emotions, even in a drunken stupor.   
  
"Yeah, she's alive." Nash couldn't help the bitter laugh that escaped his lips.  
  
Lydecker watched Nash closely. Then, almost like a father would do while giving his son advice, he leaned in closer.   
  
"Son," he said in his usual distinctive voice, "I know what you're going through. But I learned it all the hard way. If she's alive, then there is no reason for you to be in this bar, moping. It's not the way to get anything done, trust me on that. The answer's simple. Go to her. Time's a precious commodity these days, Orion. You have to keep a close eye on it at all times."  
  
A picture of Eve's face flashed through her mind, her features tormented by pain as the doctor came out of the operating room, his outfit awash in blood. But it was the scream that she emitted after his unsympathetic statement that still haunted Nash's dreams. She was crying so loudly that she barely noticed when two guards came up behind her and seized her by the arms, dragging her away from Nash and the hospital, and Mandy's motionless body in the next room over. He had stood there, as helpless as a baby, unable to do anything but watch. Going to her now, was no longer an option.  
  
Nash waited until Lydecker was properly seated again and then downed the last shot defiantly. Sighing Lydecker stood to leave, but Nash swiveled in his chair to look at him.  
  
"Sir?"  
  
"Yes soldier?"  
  
Nash took a deep breath and willed his beat-up emotions to stay in tact for this question.  
  
"The young surrogate ...1-210. Was her body sent back to her fiancé?"  
  
Lydecker's face remained unreadable, but his eyes flashed momentarily with something that looked like dark shadows of pain and regret.  
  
"Yes, Orion. It was returned to Mr. Carson the day after...after the birth."  
  
Once again Lydecker turned to go, but stopped suddenly to look back at Nash.  
  
"Come back to the barracks, Scott. There's nothing more that you can accomplish here."  
  
And with that, Lydecker pulled his gloves back on and left the bar.  
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The room was dark and cold as Nash stepped in for his night duty. Ordinarily his temper would have flared at the chilly conditions in which the children were sleeping, but tonight his temper was dampened by grief and he simply walked over to the heater and turned it up without a second thought. Sighing heavily he turned to the bed next to him and saw a tiny little girl, shivering under her thin blanket. For some reason the weather had taken a turn for the worse after the girls' capture and it was mimicking Nash's emotions. Cold, brutal winds howled at the windows, the sky was a continuing shade of grey and snow had started to fall.  
  
'In April,' he thought miserably, tucking the blanket tighter around the girl, 'What right does it have to snow on April 30th?'  
  
April 30th. It was funny, he thought anything but amused, but the world outside probably hadn't even noticed. They hadn't felt the sudden sharp struggle between good and evil, they hadn't heard the screams and the pleas. But he had, and all his faith in mankind was destroyed that night. They didn't realize that the world had forever changed, just two short evenings ago. No one else knew that little X5-452 had entered the world on April the 28th. But Nash knew, and Nash was feeling that pain.  
  
Oh, how different things could have been. How much joy he could be feeling if only Mandy hadn't gotten sick, if only Eve was safe, if only Eden weren't lying in a crib in the cold and sterile barracks just three feet away from him. Nash McCloud had never been a man to dwell on the past, but as he turned slowly to face the tiny, metal crib, he couldn't help it. Eve had been the first woman he had ever really, truly loved. And now he had no idea where she was. All he knew was that she was hurting more than she ever had, and he had no way of getting to her.  
  
'Watch out for her, Nash. Please. Watch out for Eden.'  
  
Eve's voice haunted Nash's mind as he stared at the crib. Shaking his head, he blinked back tears.  
  
"I can't, Eve," he whispered out loud, "I can't. It's too hard."  
  
"She's scared, Nash. Look after her. I don't want her to be scared."  
  
Nash shook his head harder this time, tears springing to his eyes, "I can't help, Eve. There's nothing I can do anymore. It's outta my hands. I can't do it. I can't stay here and watch them treat her like...I can't." He whispered his last words in defeat, but again his memory dredged up her voice.  
  
"Please," she begged, "please."  
  
Taking a shaky breath, Nash took a tentative step forward. Slowly he made his way to the side of the crib and peered in. Large chocolate brown eyes met his and he stared in disbelief. She was so beautiful, so tiny, so fragile. Opening her mouth, she gave a gurgling yawn and brought her hand up. Missing her mouth completely she gently bonked her face with her hand, and her little nose scrunched up in displeasure. Nash's resolve broke. Reaching a trembling hand into the crib, he carefully picked Eden up and cradled the small being in his arms.  
  
"Hi," he whispered breathlessly. She met his eyes with unflinching curiosity. "How are you?" he continued, then gave a tired chuckle. She squirmed slightly and he snuggled her closer into the warmth of his body.  
  
"You're beautiful, did you know that?" Eden gave another little yawn and her eyes drooped slightly. "You look like a little angel. Bet that you aren't though." His own emerald green eyes crinkled at the corners as he watched Eden's close softly, "Bet you're just like you're Mom and you're gonna give these guys a run for their money, aren't ya?" Nash's gaze traveled across the sleeping baby. She was so perfect. Her little fist was clenched tightly at her side, her head resting trustingly on Nash's chest.  
  
"Babe," he said softly, "You look just like your mother." He felt a rebel tear fall to his cheek, but he paid it no heed, "She loves you, you know. Your mother loves you."  
  
Nash didn't try and stop the tears this time, instead he stood there, holding his baby tightly, gaining courage from the small, sleeping figure. Gaining hope from the little being who Eve had adored. She really was perfect. Her lips pursed and her button nose crinkled as he place a soft kiss on her delicate skin. He wasn't sure how long he stood there for, but it only felt like a few minutes before he heard a tiny little voice behind him.  
  
"Nash?"  
  
Nash spun around, completely caught off guard. There, standing only a couple inches away, stood X5-599, his feet bare and his eyes questioning. At the sight of Nash crying, the little boy took another tentative step forward.  
  
"Is that you're baby?" he asked innocently, "Or is 'e another X5?"  
  
Nash managed a weak smile and knelt beside the boy, a sleeping Eden still in his arms.   
  
"Both, little man. This is X5-452. She's your little sister."  
  
"Little...sister?" The tiny blond screwed up his nose in confusion. "But she's your baby, right?" He asked again, more pointedly this time.  
  
Nash chuckled quietly, "You're not gonna give up on that, are you? Yeah, she's my baby."  
  
The boy took another step forward and peered down at the girl. Eden yawned in her sleep and the little boy giggled. Nash's eyes got wide as he stared down at Kelly's son.  
  
'He giggled?' he thought incredulously, 'He actually just laughed?'  
  
Despite his astonishment, Nash smiled. "You like her, huh?"  
  
The boy looked up, the grin still very apparent on his face, "Yup, she's kinda funny."  
  
This time Nash laughed out loud. "Good, well I'm glad. Because I want you to help me, okay?"  
  
The young, childish smile was instantly replaced by concentration as 599 nodded, "Okay."  
  
"I want you to help me look after her. She's pretty little, and she's gonna need some help learning the ropes around here. Can you do that for me?"  
  
The boy's brow furrowed and he nodded vigorously, "Yes."  
  
"Good," Nash's smile was soft as he patted the boy on his shoulder. "Now it's off to bed, you. You need your sleep."  
  
Always one to obey Nash's orders the boy listened and turned on his heel. But before he had taken two steps he came back. "See you in the morning," he whispered at Eden, and then with a quick glance at Nash, the boy wrapped his arms around the older man's waist. Before Nash realized what had happened, 599 slipped quietly back into his bed and closed his eyes.  
  
Nash stood for a moment longer, shock apparent on his face. But when he came to, a pleasant thought shaped itself in his mind. Perhaps all hope wasn't lost. Maybe, just maybe, these kids could find their own way in this crazy and messed up world. And maybe he could find his own way as well. Straight back to Eve's arms.  
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Eve awoke with a pounding headache to the sounds of unfamiliar beepings and murmurs. Every muscle in her body ached horrendously, every fiber in her being cried out in pain. Her mouth felt like cotton as she yawned, and her tongue seemed to stick to the sides of the dryness. Ever so slowly her eyelids managed to flutter open and the light that assaulted her pupils left her blinking in wake of the brightness.   
  
Groaning quietly, she shook her head, to clear it of the sudden ringing.  
  
"Careful," a rough voice broke through the fog in Eve's head, "you've been through quite an ordeal, according to your files. It seems they had to sedate you for the whole ride."  
  
Eve blinked in surprise at the burly woman who was now blocking her field of view.  
  
"Excuse me?" she managed in a hoarse voice.  
  
"I said be careful. If you try to get up too fast, your head's gonna feel like exploding'" The woman's uncaring voice barely registered in Eve's unfocused mind, and she began to sit up despite the warning. Immediately she felt a pain lance through every inch of her body.  
  
Gasping, she lay back down, the pain causing her breathing to be ragged. The lady, however seemed extremely unsympathetic, and she grabbed Eve's arm roughly and shoved a blood pressure monitor onto it.  
  
"I warned you." She stated, staring grumpily at the machine, "Geez, you really are as bad as they said. We're gonna have to watch out for you."  
  
Eve scrunched her nose in bewilderment, "Who's they?" she forced out.  
  
The woman glared at Eve, "No talking," she scolded, glancing pointedly at the machine. "They are the social workers who brought you in here."  
  
"Where is 'here'?" Eve asked, her mind still too groggy to comprehend the woman's 'no talking' order.  
  
The woman shot her another deathly look, but answered anyway. "Montana's physchiatric facility."  
  
Although she heard what was said, her mind felt too much like mush to realize the implications of the woman's statement. Instead, Eve tried to sit up again. And again, an enormous pain shot through her entire body.  
  
"Gosh," she whispered, leaning against the pillows, "I hurt! It feels like I just gave birth or something."  
  
At that statement, an image shot clearly through Eve's drunken psyche like a bolt of lightning. A woman with red hair, muttering a name over and over again, a man watching her with tear filled eyes, and then more men. Men in uniforms, men with needles, men with uncaring eyes much like the woman before her. And a cry, a cry from a baby, a cry that seemed to echo from far away, a cry from...Eden.  
  
Ignoring the pain that laced itself in every muscle, Eve shot straight up, her eyes wide.  
  
"Eden," she gasped, "Where is she? Where's my baby?"  
  
The woman let out a low sound, almost like that of a growl and roughly pushed Eve back into the cushions.  
  
"Now don't go starting this nonsense again. The last time you did this, they had to put you under, and you don't want that, do you? You don't have a baby."  
  
Eve's eyes glanced desperately around the room, as if expecting to catch a glimpse of Eden in the corner. "Yes I do," she whispered frantically, "I...I remember. They made me deliver. I was early, but they made me deliver anyway. Then they...they gave me a needle." At the woman's angry look, Eve tried harder, "I heard her! I heard her cry!"  
  
"Stop it," the woman's eyes blazed in fury, "stop this right now. I'll have no such talk while I'm on duty. The other women may have pity on you dirty street kids, but not me. You have no baby. You were brought here after you had a miscarriage, and you got all in a funk about it. There's no baby of yours out in this world, and a damn good thing too, if I do say so. We've got enough of your kind to keep us busy for..."  
  
"Don't fuck with me." Eve's voice had gotten dangerously low. Manticore could play games with her all she wanted, but if they so much as laid a finger on Eden... "Where is she? What did you do with her?"  
  
"Ms. Secancho, I will not tolerate this. As I said, you had a miscarriage. You were only three months along, and in the conditions you live, it's a miracle that your baby lived as long as it did. Honestly, you should be thanking your lucky stars that it died. You can act all high and mighty as much as you'd like, but you can't tell me that you'd honestly wish this life on a poor, innocent baby."  
  
But Eve was no longer listening to the ramblings of the enraged woman. Instead she stared at her, completely dumbfounded.  
  
"What did you call me?" she asked, her voice barely above a frightened whisper, "What did you say my name was?"  
  
The woman paid no heed to the puzzlement on Eve's face. Instead, the innocent question only seemed to make her more angry.  
  
"I called you Ms. Secancho. As in your name. As in Jordan Secancho. Don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about, girl."  
  
Eve began to feel sick to her stomach. Jordan Secancho. She'd never heard the name before in her life. And what had the woman said? Montana's physciatric facility? Montana, why was she in Montana? She lived in Seattle, Manticore was in Wyoming, how the hell did she get to Montana? What had they done to her?  
  
As Eve stared into the purple face of the nurse, she felt the sickness spread to every limb, and a numbness join it. She had underestimated them. Mandy and Eve had thought they had got the better of Manticore, thought they had outsmarted the military and it's propaganda about how their babies were to be treated. But really, they had only been very small thorns in the side of the great creature. Thorns which they had plucked effortlessly, and thrown aside without any consideration. Mandy was dead, forever silenced to the world of military. Her mourning, officer fiancé would never suspect foul play from the men who gave their most 'sincere' condolences. And Eve...well, they hadn't killed Eve. No, they had taken a much more awful approach...they let her live. They gave her a life, and handed her over to the physciatrists with a false identity. Any truth uttered from her mouth would seem like a bizarre mumbling from an insanely trouble young woman. Even her own name condemned her to living in a broken down hospital with gleaming walls and yelling nurses. She had underestimated them, and she knew that she would pay dearly for that mistake for the rest of her life.  
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	13. The Note

Title: No Greater Love  
  
Author: Amy Lock  
  
Disclaimer: Actually, in this chapter they're all mine except for Manticore. But I don't own Dark Angel, so I may as well just say it now and not break the habit. ;)  
  
AN: Okay, first off, sorry about the stupid 'dark and dirty' comment. I didn't think about it. I changed it, so thanks to Zanna and JoJo for catching me on that one. Secondly, CeCe your wish is my command. Well, part of it anyway. This is the last chapter entirely based on the past. From now on we go back to the future. *giggle* okay, I so didn't mean to do that. As for the happily ever after everyone is so politely requesting, we'll have to see about that. This is the second last chapter, after all. However, I don't leave my stories on angsty notes, so...  
  
Oh yeah, and just an interesting little tidbit: I was looking up the actress who plays Max's Mom on the DA flashbacks, and on every site that I went to it said Christine Chatelain--Max's young mother. Therefore, they are keeping the option to put Max's mother in the show at one point in the here and now. Or at least in the here and now of 2021. So if there are any writers of DA out there, feel free to take my stuff. ;) j/k. I just thought that was interesting. All right enjoy. I haven't really revised it, so if it sucks, I'm really sorry but it's midterms. Cut me some slack. Reviews would be lovely!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
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She wasn't sure how long she stayed. Days were confused with hours as each hour brought more psychologists and their endless brainwash, nurses with their unforgiving crankiness, and forbidden thoughts of what might have been. At first, Eve refused to respond to the name Jordan Secancho. It wasn't her, and it never would be. But soon she realized that if she was going to keep her sanity and ever escape this god forsaken facility, then she better at least pretend to go along with their game. During the day, she responded to the name, Jordan, with only a hint of her true rebelliousness, but the night was another story. At night her thoughts drifted back to the three people who had meant everything to her. The three people who were now lost to her forever. But every time her sanity failed her, an image of Nash holding her in his strong arms, would urge her forward. She had come this far. Giving up now was not an option.  
  
It was from a dream of Nash that she awoke one day to a soft, "Good mornin' Eve." Still assuming it was in her dream, for no one there called her by that name, she softly smiled.  
  
"Ah. Now, that's a sight I'm glad to see."  
  
The sweet, southern voice invaded her dream, and Eve's eyes fluttered groggily open. In front of her stood a beaming nurse with long, golden blonde hair to the small of her back.  
  
"Mornin' sunshine," she whispered softly and Eve thought she must still be dreaming. No nurse in this facility would ever whisper when rousing a patient from sleep, and they most certainly would not call 'her' of all people, sunshine.  
  
"Who...who are you?" Eve managed. Her head still seemed to be full of the dream fog. Not that this was unusual. She'd spent most of the time since Eden's birth in a similar fog.  
  
The nurse flashed her a beautiful smile. "My name is Bethany." Showing Eve her name tag, Bethany reached up to the IV. Shaking her head, she sighed heavily and turned back to Eve.  
  
"I thought I'd lost you there. When you first came in I was so proud of you, because you wouldn't let anyone get you down. But these last few weeks..." Beth sighed again and her voice lowered slightly, "I'd thought Manticore had finally gotten to you."  
  
Before Eve had a moment to ponder her words, Bethany straightened with another smile.   
  
"But I was right. You're a fighter."  
  
"Manticore?" Eve whispered in confusion, "You mean...you mean you believe me? About...my name? About my baby? About them?"  
  
Beth turned to wink at Eve as she replaced the IV bag. "Of course. There's been so many women in here with the exact same story, that you'd have to be a cold hearted fool not to see they were telling the truth. Now, these other nurses...well, let's just say I wouldn't put them too far above that category, but they still know what's goin' on. Some of 'em are just too scared, I guess. Some of 'em have been bribed...and in all honesty, some of 'em just don't give a damn. But me...I think this Manticore is gonna get what's coming to them, and I am most definitely not opposed to having a hand in that. Even if it just means helping get you girls outta this place."  
  
Once again, Eve blinked in confusion, but before she had a chance to question Bethany further, the pretty nurse continued.  
  
"I must say, though, that they've gotta be gettin' better. Manticore, I mean. I haven't seen any women in here babbling about giving birth to baby dogs or cats in years. I had just started when the first one came in. Geez, I thought that woman had really lost it. But I figured it out quickly enough. One woman with that story is crazy, but when you get more exactly like her...well that's when you begin to figure that something is up."  
  
"Baby...cats?" Eve mumbled. She had no idea what this woman was talking about. She sounded more crazy than everyone thought Eve was. But she believed her and that was a definite start. Looking up, Eve noticed that the nurse was changing her only half empty IV. "What are you doing?"  
  
Bethany stopped to look at Eve, and the smile slowly crept from her face. Sitting down gently on Eve's bed she took her hand and looked her straight in the eye. "Do you wanna get out of here?"  
  
Eve's mouth gaped open at Bethany's comment.   
  
Taking Eve's silence as a bad sign, Beth continued in a hurry, "I mean, if you feel that it's beneficial to stay and all, then you're welcome to, but I just thought...well, you seemed to want to get out. You've been mumbling about someone, someone that you need to get to, and I just thought..."  
  
"Yes." Eve whispered in disbelief, "More than anything."  
  
Beth's blue eyes searched Eve's brown ones for a moment, before her face broke into its characteristic grin. "Great. Then I'm gonna help you." Beth stepped off Eve's bed and began to once again fiddle with the IV. "And the first thing that we need to do is get you off all these meds. Haven't you wondered why you've been feeling so groggy lately?"  
  
Eve nodded slowly, hope beginning to fill every fiber of her being.  
  
"They've got you on so many antidepressants and sedatives and God knows what else that I'm impressed you can still speak coherently." Bethany glanced over at Eve with a mischievous twinkle in her eye. "I guess you were a little too spunky for them. Fought 'em just a little too much. But that's okay, because I'm your nurse now, and I think we should get along just fine." With a little wink, Beth turned back and finished her work.   
  
"There," she said, a bright smile on her face, "All done. There's no way I can explain to them why I took you off meds completely, so this way there'll be no questions." At Eve's questioning glance, Beth laughed out loud.   
  
"Water," she whispered conspirationally, "And a little bit of sugar. It'll get you hydrated again. I think it's a fair assumption to make that you haven't been paying much attention to your fluid intake."  
  
"Bethany?" Eve's voice was soft and so grateful that it brought tears to the nurse's eyes. "Why are you doing this? Why are you helping me?"  
  
The woman's face softened and she gave a contemplative sigh.  
  
"I went into this field to help people, Eve. I was pretty idealistic, and I thought that every person was fundamentally good. It took coming here and hearing some of your stories to realize how mistaken I really was. When the first women came here...well let's just say that Manticore was being pretty experimental. Those women had gone through a very traumatic experience and all they wanted and needed was a little help getting through that. But...some of these nurses weren't ready. They didn't want to believe that the stories could be true, that human beings could stoop so low. That's why even now, close to a decade of the same stories later, they still act as if you're crazy. I know better. Ignorance isn't bliss, Eve. Not when young women and children are being condemned to fates worse than death."  
  
Eve looked at Bethany, new hope making her eyes fill with tears. "Can you...can you help me get my baby back?"  
  
Bethany's blue eyes clouded over with pain as she again reached for Eve's hand. "I wish I could, sunshine. But there's really nothing I can do about that."  
  
Eve dipped her head. Another hope slashed.  
  
"Hey," Beth whispered, nudging Eve's chin up so she could look in her eyes, "I'm gonna do whatever I can, okay? I may not be able to get your baby back for you, but I can start you on the path that might get you there eventually. We can't worry about that right now. What we've gotta focus on is getting you out of this place. Because heaven knows that you don't belong here."  
  
Eve's mind flashed back to the last time that she felt happy, the last time she felt safe. It felt like her whole life she had been running. Running from the fact that she was an orphan, running from the only people who actually loved her, running to save her baby's life. She was sick of it. Sick of being too scared to face up to what she was so afraid of. Sick of feeling so helpless. All of sudden, she realized this. And for the first time since her parents death, she felt ready to face up to everything.  
  
"I don't want to run anymore."  
  
Bethany smiled at the fierceness in Eve's voice. "You don't have to. I've gotta lot of pull in this place. I'll get a doctor to sign the paper, and you'll be outta here. And then, Eve, I promise you that one day you will be able to hug that child of yours and tell her exactly how much her Momma loves her."  
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It took another month before Bethany would finally allow Eve to leave the psychiatric ward, and Eve felt that the day would never come. But as she sat in her bed, on the last night of her 'hospitalization', she wondered how ready she really was to re-enter the world. She'd been through a lot, and her stomach churned at the idea of going back to work, or to school or any other part of an ordinary life. Beth had noticed this, and about a week before, she had gone into the room and surprised Eve with a rather startling question.  
  
"What would you like your name to be, Sunshine?"  
  
Eve had blinked up at her in confusion. "Excuse me?"  
  
Beth had shot her a small grin and had sat down at the end of the bed. "You can't go by your real name. Manticore knows it, and they'll be keeping an eye out for it. And somethin' tells me that you aren't going to be wantin' to keep the name 'Jordan Secancho'." Beth laughed at the understatement, and then smiled at the apprehension in Eve's eyes. "Trust me on this one, Sunshine. You'll need a new last name. You can keep Eve, but the rest has gotta change."  
  
Eve nodded slowly. "Okay," she whispered.  
  
"So what's it gonna be? What's your last name?"  
  
Eve sighed heavily. 'God, I don't know,' she thought to herself, 'I never actually considered what I'd want my own last name to be.' But as her mind debated with itself, a whisper of a memory reached her heart.  
  
'See that one? Right up there. It kinda looks like a kite? That ones called Bootes.'  
  
Eve felt a smile creep slowly up her lips. There was one last name that she'd wanted as her own. A name from a man who had given her the stars and had laid his heart down at her feet.  
  
"McCloud." she whispered, the sweet smile growing even larger, "My name is Eva McCloud."  
  
Bethany nodded, "Okay. You got it. I'll get a passport made up for you right away. We don't want you to have to stay any longer than you already have."  
  
"Beth?" Eve said as the nurse turned towards the door, "What am I gonna do? I mean, before...before all of this, I was half through university. I was gonna be a teacher. But now... I mean, even if I wanted to finish up my degree, I don't have the money. Especially not for another four years."  
  
Once again, Bethany flashed Eve her characteristically brilliant smile, "Not to worry, Sunshine. I have contacts. You won't have to start all over again. If you want to continue and get your degree, than I'll work it out."  
  
Eve shook her head in disbelief. She wished with all her heart that she had some way to show Beth just how appreciative she truly was, but she could think of no words strong enough. Instead she settled for a short and simple, 'thank-you.'  
  
"No problem." Beth turned to leave, then stopped suddenly. "Oh my gosh! I almost forgot! A parcel arrived for you today."  
  
"A parcel?"  
  
"Yeah, hang on. I put it in the bathroom, because I didn't want to wake you this morning. Just a second." Bethany disappeared into the bathroom and returned a moment later, carrying a large, and apparently very heavy box.  
  
"Funny," she said, heaving it onto the bed, "But it doesn't have a return address on it. And you're lucky. If any of the other nurses would've gotten to it first, I'm not sure you would have gotten it at all."  
  
"What is it?" Eve asked, a little breathlessly.  
  
"Dunno. But I've been pretty damn curious. Open it."  
  
Eve bit her lip in unsure anticipation. The sealing tape came off with a few strong tugs, and she opened the brown box without a word. On top of what appeared to be many books of varying shapes and sizes sat a short letter scrawled on blanched white paper. Picking it up with trembling hands, Eve read:  
  
Eve,  
I don't know if I should be giving you these, or if you'll even get them. All I know is that they don't belong in the hands of Manticore. I'm sorry I couldn't do it for you, but I have to stay here. I hate to be the cause of any more pain for you, but, as I said before, they have no place here. I trust that you'll do what needs to be done with them.  
  
Enclosed is a letter from Nash. I can't say too much, but I can tell you this; if things had to turn out the way they did, then we are both very lucky that we have him here. Someone up there must be watching over Eden.  
  
Please take care. If any of the stories told about you and our "famed officer" are true, then I know that you'll be all right. And if Eden is anything like you, then I have no doubt that she will be fine as well.  
  
Love Kelly  
  
  
Eve stared at the letter long after she was finished reading, dreading what would come next. But knowing that the more she sat there, the longer the pain would just be delayed, she set the letter aside gently and gazed into the box with tearful eyes.  
  
A gasp escaped her lips as she lifted out a small, black book. Opening it, she only had time to glance at it momentarily before it slipped from her shaking hands to the bed beneath. Bethany, sensing that Eve needed to be alone, squeezed her hand in support and left the room soundlessly. Eve barely noticed. Instead, she put her face in her hands and sobbed. For on the page had been written in loving, looping scrawl;   
  
Nick,  
Well, the unthinkable has happened. I'm pregnant...  
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It took Eve days to get up the courage to read Nash's letter. Each time she awoke, her gaze would automatically blaze a path to the box now sitting in the corner of her tiny room. But each time that she attempted to look at it, her heart constricted and her trembling body wouldn't allow her to retrieve it.   
  
Likewise, she had not read any more of Mandy's letters to Nick. The letters had been written with so much love that Eve felt it was a betrayal of her best friend's trust to read them. Also, the reaction her body gave when she went near the books was worse than with the letter. Dread filled her every time she thought of the task that awaited her. And yet, not fulfilling that task seemed ten times worse, so she kept her mind as far away from the brown box as possible. Days passed, and before she knew it, her last night at the facility had arrived. Bethany had given her the passport and other identification earlier on in the week, and Eve had spent countless hours marveling at her new identity. Her birthday was now February the twentieth, 1981 and her full name was Evangeline Elizabeth McCloud. Most nights, Eve could be found staring hard at the name, her mind flicking around dangerously. The eve before her departure was no different.  
  
As Eve sat, looking at her passport, she once again thanked Beth mentally for such a gift. Her fingers darted unconsciously to the name 'McCloud' and her gaze wandered back to the shadowed box. Glancing back down at her new name, she made up her mind quickly. In two strides she was knelt beside the box and in record time she was back in her bed, the letter clutched to her heart. Taking a deep breath, she switched the bedside lamp on and took the letter out of the envelope.  
  
Eve,  
I have no idea where you are or how you are doing. I don't even know if this letter will get to you. Kelly swears she knows where you are, but I don't trust anything Manticore says anymore. If you do get this, though, I just want you to know how sorry I am. I never meant for it to happen this way. God Eve, if I'd have known I would have done things so differently.  
  
Eve bit her lip to stop the tears from falling, but they stubbornly refused. "I know." she whispered sadly, "I know. But it's not your fault."  
  
I'm writing this in the barracks, right now. The kids are all sleeping. Well, almost all. There is one that's still awake. She's so beautiful, Eve. And she's grown so much. I wish I could do more for her, but I promise you that I am doing all that I can. I told you once that if the plan didn't work, that I would stay behind and look after her as long as I could. I'm going to keep that promise, Eve. I swear it to you. She's amazing, Eve. I wanted to send you a whole roll of film, but since we both know that that's impossible, I made it my goal to send you at least one. I know you're greatest fear was that you'd never be able to see your daughter, so I'm going to make sure that that fear never comes true. If you look inside the envelope, you'll see a picture. That picture is your Eden.  
  
Eve's breath caught in her throat as Nash's words hit her. With hands that were shaking harder than ever before, she peered back inside the envelope and removed the small picture. There, lying in a crib, was the most beautiful baby Eve had ever laid eyes on.  
  
"Eden." She whispered, her tears falling even more readily. "She's so beautiful, Nash."  
  
It took Eve another long silence before she could tear her eyes away from the picture in order to finish his letter.  
  
Eve, I don't know when I'll leave this place, or where I'll end up next, but there is one thing that I know. I can't contact you. It would be too risky for me to know where you are. But I know that at sometime we will be together again. I don't know when or how, but I know that it will happen. I promise you that it will. I have to go now, but I want you to remember something. I love you. No matter what, Eve, and I always will. Please don't ever forget that.  
  
Love Nash  
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	14. When Life Goes On

Title: No Greater Love  
  
Author: Amy Lock  
  
Disclaimer: Not mine.  
  
Authors notes: This is it guys, the final chapter. I hope you enjoy. Just to let you know, the majority of this chapter take place right after AJBAC, so keep that in mind when you're reading this. Enjoy and please read the comments at the end of the chapter.  
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For as long as she lived, Eve would never forget the feel of the warm sunshine on her bare shoulders as she left the psychiatric facility that day. It was getting late into August, but the sun still blazed hot in the Montana sky as she had stared apprehensively at the car that was to take her to the bus depot. After that, she would never again be known as Jordan Secancho or even Evangeline Forester ever again. After that, her new life would begin.  
  
She had stood, staring apprehensively for such a long time that Beth had rested a hand gently on her shoulder and leaned in to whisper in Eve's ear.  
  
"It's called a new day," she said, smiling softly, "go and make of it what you will."  
  
Beth's sweet words had shook Eve from her quiet reverie, and she had spun around for another hug.  
  
"Thank you," she whispered for the umpteenth time, "thank you so much."  
  
"My pleasure. Now go, or you're gonna miss you're ride to Washington." Beth had sent Eve a wink, then with a final hug she had gone back into the building.  
  
As planned, Eve had boarded the bus, but not to Washington as Jordan Secancho was intended to do. Rather, she took her journey in a different direction, and headed to Alberta, Canada where she finished her last two years of university in Calgary. She had reluctantly promised Beth that she would not attempt to give Mandy's belongings back to Nick until the two years had passed, for safety reasons. But even with the extra precautions taken, Eve felt ill at ease for her entire stay in Calgary. Her grades had always been high, staying put in the 70 and 80 range, but from the very first essay she wrote, her marks soared to just slightly below perfect. At first she chalked it up to sheer luck, but as it continued and she achieved the highest average in the large university, she began to question just exactly what the doctors had done to her. It had been common knowledge at Manticore that gene therapy was used in abundance, but Eve had never dreamt that they would be using some of it on the surrogates, for fear of extra exposure. But as she continued to maintain near perfect grades with minimal effort, she realized just how much Manticore had tampered with her physically. Eventually she quit proof reading essays in an attempt to remain less conspicuous. Eve also began kick boxing which she had done previously with her training for the Pilot Bute mission. She found it to be strangely relaxing and easy, but she refused to compete, once again for fear of exposure.  
  
With her diploma firmly in hand, Eve headed back towards the border with New Jersey on her mind. Nick had been denied so much, she refused to deny him what little she had for any longer. From New Jersey, Quebec became her home and though she fell in love with the ease and flow of two languages, the beautiful historic buildings and the home she had made, she stayed just five years before she set off again. It was an unspoken promise, one she didn't fully understand herself, but she was on the run, constantly looking over her shoulder. One day they would be together again as Nash had promised, but until that day she kept safe by staying on the move.   
  
From Quebec she settled in Manitoba and it was there that she sat transfixed in horror, watching the news discuss what would eventually be known as "the pulse". She desperately longed for news of Nash and Eden, but with nowhere to start, she just continued on. She traveled past Saskatchewan and Alberta and settled in Vancouver. It was there that her life's road took yet another sharp and sudden turn.  
  
It was a cold day in early March 2021, and Eve had been restless since the moment she had awoken in a sweat, her breathing ragged from the hellish nightmare that had transpired in her sleep. She spent the rest of the day in a haze and as darkness began to fall on the city, she realized that this night would be yet another of complete insomnia. As she always did when she was unable to rest her eyes, Eve put on her heavy leather jacket and a pair of thin gloves and set off to the small club that had become somewhat of a second home.   
  
Sighing Eve stepped out of her house and immediately pulled the jacket tighter around her small shoulders to shield them from the cold. She had learned what a real winter was like while living on the praries, and when she had first moved to Vancouver it had seemed almost a tropical paradise in contrast. Still, it had it's freezing spells and the lonely wind that came in off the ocean chilled her to the depths of her soul. She stared quietly at her crunching shoes as they made their way down the familiar path to the tiny night club. She had discovered it two months earlier on a midnight walk, and was surprised at how much she enjoyed spending time there. There was always entertainment from talented and struggling young artists and they served everything from beer to wine to espresso. The workers were kind and the warmth of their smiles had drawn Eve in immediately.   
  
As she reached her destination, Eve stamped her muddy shoes on the mat and proceeded through the door. As always, the warmth dissolved the cold chill that clung to her jacket and she turned with a grin at the sound of her name.  
  
"Hey Eve!"   
  
She answered back with a friendly wave, making her way to the counter where the owner was sitting. Andrew Hill was a young man, just barely into his thirties, and he ran his place with such passion and cheerfulness that his small group of workers and clients were always glad to see him. He had made it clear on a few occasions that he might be interested in Eve, but she had shook her head with a sad smile. Though it had been years, Nash's place would never be filled by any one else.  
  
"Couldn't sleep?"  
  
Eve sighed as she settled herself on a stool at the counter.  
  
"Nope, not a wink."  
  
Andrew nodded and grabbed a large mug in order to start Eve's common order of a double latte with vanilla syrup.  
  
"You should maybe go see a doctor, or something, Eve. I mean, it can't be easy to look after twenty five screaming children with only an hours worth of sleep."  
  
Laughing Eve shook her head, "They don't scream, Andrew. Not in school. They're a pretty well behaved class this year, actually. Besides I don't think a doctor could help me with this. I don't really have insomnia, just nightmares." Eve sighed again and ran a hand through her hair. Turning in her seat to remove her jacket she surveyed the crowd. There were the regulars; Pete and Jill, the two cops who came in whenever they had night duty in the area, Daina the actress who came whenever she had a pay cheque, the group of university students from UBC who seemed to never have classes early in the morning, and the table full of construction workers who's eyes watched Eve's every move with lustful appreciation. But apart from the normal crew, the little place was almost packed to full capacity. Close to a dozen tables were filled with college age people, most of which were male. A couple tables were filled with business women on their "girls night out", women who were only vaguely familiar to Eve, for she had only seen them there on a couple occasions. Turning back around, she noticed Andrew handing the steaming latte to her and she accepted it with a smile.  
  
"Hey Drew? What're all these people doing here?"  
  
Andrew let out a loud laugh and began to wipe down the counters. "I guess my place is finally booming."  
  
Eve rolled her eyes. The business had always been good, but it could never have been described as booming.  
  
"Okay, okay. So maybe it has more to do with the entertainment than the drinks and the atmosphere, but I can pretend, can't I?"  
  
Her brow wrinkling slightly, Eve shot him a confused look. "The entertainment?" she asked, completely puzzled.  
  
"Yeah, her name's Finn. Finn Delaney. I hired her a couple months ago, I'm surprised you haven't seen her yet. Guess your nightmare's usually stay away on Thursdays." He chuckled softly as she gave him a stern look. "Anyway, word's gotten around about her. She's something else, that one. I'm surprised she hasn't hit it big already. She should be playing in front of thousands of cheering fans, not at this dump."  
  
"Well, she sure has brought in a lot of revenue for you anyway, Drew. You be nice to this one."  
  
Andrew laughed, "I'm always nice."  
  
Sipping her latte for a few moments, Eve thought in silence, "So she's really that good, huh?"  
  
At Andrew's enormous nod, she glanced towards the stage, "When does she come on?"  
  
"Any minute now. It's not really that formal of a thing, but she's usually hear between ten or eleven. Most of this crowd's been here since nine, just to make sure that they wouldn't miss it. I'm telling you, Eve, she's a spellbinder, that one. Sings like an angel, but that's not her only talent. She puts people in a trance. Once you've seen 'er, you never forget her."  
  
Eve smiled softly, her curiosity peaked. She wanted a look at this girl that had stolen so many hearts so easily.  
  
"Only one problem with Finn, though." Andrew rubbed the bridge of his nose, a wry smile on his face, "She's a man-eater." At Eve's laughter, Andrew's smile got bigger, "I'm serious, Eve. All these guys here, they think they've got a shot with that one. I've tried to warn them, but they're all under her spell. Not that I blame 'em, but I've seen a lot of broken hearts following her around, and somethin' tells me that she's not one who can be fooled."  
  
Eve's brown eyes twinkled as she winked teasingly. "Shot you down cold, huh?"  
  
"Nah, I'd never try for her. Seriously Eve, she'd tear me in two! There's just somethin' about her..."  
  
Andrew's words were cut short by a pretty young waitress by the name of Tanya, who appeared on the small stage area.  
  
"Well guys, you've been waiting all night, and here she is. Let's welcome back Finn Delaney."  
  
Hoots and cat calls could be heard from various tables and even Andrew put his hands together in enthusiastic applause as the lights dimmed around the tables and the stage went dark. Eve swiveled her chair so she was facing the stage and continued to sip her latte. Out of the blackness of the room, one of the most beautiful and strangely familiar voices that Eve had ever heard sounded in a clear, crisp note.  
  
"Lying beside you, here in the dark.  
Feeling your heart beat with mine."  
  
Eve's eyes grew wide in surprise and she put her drink back on the counter for fear that her shaking hands would drop the mug. That song...it was Mandy's song. The one that she had constantly sang, the one that she had been singing the first time Eve had ever laid eyes on her. Eve bit her lip and briefly considered going outside for some fresh air, but the lights on the stage came on and that idea was quickly dismissed. On the stage stood the most beautiful girl Eve had ever seen.  
  
"Softly you whisper, you're so sincere,  
How could our love be so blind."  
  
Finn looked to be about twenty years of age, with long shocks of strawberry-red hair and light blond streaks. Her body curved perfectly, showing just the right amount of muscle definition and soft femininity. Her eyes were masked in full, dark lashes, and her lips which moved in time with the music were full and mischievous.   
  
"We sailed on together, we drifted apart  
Now here you are by my side."  
  
Her thin, yet muscular legs were encased in pants of black leather, causing every man's eyes to follow each slow motion she made. Her shirt was of a filmy, pale purple, the back dipping low to reveal the soft, creamy peach of her skin.  
  
"So now I come to you, with open arms  
With nothing to hide, believe what I say  
So here I am, with open arms  
Hoping you'll see what your love means to me  
Open Arms."  
  
She stood, barely moving in the centre of the stage, but Andrew's earlier comments were honest to a fault. Not a single person in the place dared to move, their eyes glued to Finn, marveling in the sounds of her melodic voice. It appeared to Eve, that some even seemed afraid to breathe, and as she watched the young woman with the familiar voice and hair the same unique color as her late friend, she found herself in a similar predicament.   
  
"Living without you, living alone  
This empty house seemed so cold."  
  
Eve's mind flashed back to that day in New Jersey, almost eighteen years ago, when she had sat holding Nick's hand, tears cascading down both their faces. She remembered the strength in his stance when she had first met him, the power that he had yielded. And she remembered how easily he had fallen when she explained the purpose of her visit. He had welcomed her into their home, a small yellow bungalow which seemed to fit Mandy perfectly, and he had brought her to the living room where she had sat beside him while he read Mandy's last words.   
"Wanting to hold you, wanting you near  
How much I wanted you home."  
  
He had told her of a dream he had had, the night of her death. A dream where he had held her in his arms on a bed of white silk and had sworn his love to her one last time. When he found out that day, the only thought that kept him sane was that she knew how he felt, that he had gotten the chance to kiss her goodbye.  
  
"But now that you've come back, turned night into day  
I need you to stay."  
  
Eve remembered the pictures hanging on the walls and mantel. Pictures of Mandy and Nick at graduation, at her sister's wedding, laughing in the park on a bright, spring day. There were pictures of Mandy, her bright blue eyes sparkling like diamonds as she held her giggling, baby niece on her knee, and another picture of Mandy with her older sister when they were just children. The resemblance's between her and Finn were uncanny, and Eve wondered with stinging eyes, if perhaps this spitting image of her lost friend, could somehow be the niece from the picture.  
  
"So here I am, with open arms  
With nothing to hide, believe what I say.  
So here I am, with open arms  
Hoping you'll see, what you're love means to me  
Open arms."  
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Eve waited until the crowd had completely disappeared before Finn Delaney finally came out from the back. It seemed quite obvious to Eve that she must have been mobbed the last few times she had left right after a performance, and Eve almost felt guilty about bombarding her with questions despite her attempts to leave unnoticed. Shaking off the slight guilt, Eve said good-bye to Andrew and hurried out the door to catch up with Finn. Luckily the young girl seemed to be in no real hurry to get home, for Eve immediately noticed her only a few feet away in the dark alley.  
  
"Excuse me?" Eve called, walking towards her. The girl's stance immediately straightened, and Eve was struck with a sudden flashback of Nash's posture when he was anticipating trouble.  
  
"Yes?" Finn asked, turning around to look at the woman behind her. She looked to be in her early thirties, a pretty and petite woman with curls of chestnut hair and large, descriptive eyes. Finn's stance relaxed slightly.  
  
"Hi. My name's Eve. I caught your act in there. It was amazing, it truly was. You've certainly gotten yourself a fan club, anyway. I've never seen that place so packed before."  
  
Finn laughed softly, "So Andrew tells me. I've really never seen it any other way, though."  
  
Eve nodded as she ran a shaky hand through her curls. "Then trust me, it was a really good crowd."  
  
Finn smiled warmly, but remained silent, and Eve let out a soft sigh. "Look, I know you're gonna think I'm crazy or something, but...are you from New Jersey?"  
  
At the shake of Finn's head, Eve's face fell. "Oh." she whispered sadly. "So then, your...mom...she's not from there either, then?"  
  
Finn frowned. "No. Why?"  
  
"I just...I knew a girl from there once. The best friend that I've ever had in my life. She...she died quite a while ago."  
  
"I'm sorry." Finn whispered.  
  
Eve looked up and shook her head. "No. It's...not your fault. You just remind me so much of her, that's all. She had a niece that would be about your age. I just thought that maybe..." Biting her lip Eve laughed quietly, "I guess it was just my mind being too hopeful. I dunno, maybe it was the song. The first one that you sang...she used to sing that one all the time too. Used it as a lullaby for her little girl."  
  
"Yeah, it's one of my favorite songs. I heard it when I was younger and it just kinda stuck with me, you know?"  
  
Eve smiled slightly, "Yeah. I know. Well...good luck and good job. Maybe I'll see you around sometime."  
  
Eve turned to leave, but was stopped by the soft sound of Finn's voice.  
  
"What was her name? Your friend?"  
  
Tears stung at her brown eyes as Mandy's jubilant face flashed before her mind. Out of pure habit Eve reached to the chain that hung around her neck and took a deep breath. "Mandy." she whispered, turning back around to face the young singer. "Her name was Mandy."  
  
Letting the chain drop back around her neck, Eve reached her hand out to shake Finn's. But as she did so, the young girls eyes widened in a look of complete shock which quickly turned to rage. Before Eve had time to wonder what she had done, she felt a sharp pain in her stomach as she flew against the wall, the wind knocked out of her. Gasping for air, Eve tried to struggle into an upright position. Her head throbbed and she placed a hand to the hurt area to reveal a large amount of sticky, red blood oozing from a cut on her temple. She heard the click of a gun, and squinting she gazed up at the pretty young woman whose face was now a mask of fury.  
  
"Who are you?" Finn demanded, not even attempting to hide the contempt clear in her voice.  
  
Eve wheezed as she tried to fill her lungs with enough air in order to answer. "I...told you. My name...is Eve."  
  
"All right then, Eve. Who sent you? Why are you here?"  
  
Coughing, Eve managed to sit up, which gave her a better view of her surroundings in case the opportunity to escape somehow arose. After looking at the gun that was pointed directly at her forehead, though, she sincerely doubted that she would be allotted such an opportunity.  
  
"No one." Eve shook her head slowly, but quickly stopped when pain erupted from the movement. "I come here all the time when I have trouble sleeping. I saw you and wanted to talk to you because you reminded me of Mandy. That's all. I swear to you that's all."  
  
Finn's lip curled and her eyes were deadly cold. "Really?" Leaning forward, the gun still aimed expertly at her hostage's head, she ripped the chain off of Eve's neck. "Then what is this?"  
  
Eve stared at the necklace hanging from the young girls hand and felt anger boil within her like hot lava. It was the same piece of jewelry that she had been given when accepted into Manticore. That chain was one of only two things she had left of Eden, and there was no way she was giving that up without a fight.  
  
"Give it back." she demanded, her voice icy and low. "It's of no use to you. You won't fetch more than a couple dollars from it."  
  
Finn's empty laugh echoed in the dark alley. "See now, Eve, you have me all wrong. I'm not interested in how much money I can get from it, but rather how much information I can get from you. This is a very interesting symbol after all. I don't think I've ever seen another necklace with a barcode on it."  
  
Eve's gaze shot up to Finn's in pure disbelief. It was pitch-black outside. She could barely even make out the figure in front of her silhouetted by the moon. There was no way that she could read a tiny rectangle.   
  
"How the hell...?" Eve's eyes got wider as realization slowly dawned on her. No normal human being would be able to read the numbers and see the barcode on her chain, and yet, it was very obvious that Finn had done just that. And for some reason, she was absolutely furious with the fact that Eve owned it. She was acting as if she had stolen it. But for Finn to think that, she would have to know that the cold and empty numbers meant something, that they meant a person. Again Eve glanced up at the shadowed figure and remembered just how like Mandy the girl truly had seemed on stage. This wasn't her niece, this was her daughter.  
  
"You're wrong," Eve whispered, her voice so quiet that even the strange girl had to strain to hear, "Your mother...she is from New Jersey."  
  
"What are you talking about?" Finn's snarl would have scared most people into silence, but with knowledge as her shield, Eve continued.  
  
"Pooh bear. That's what she used to call you. She'd be happy to see how beautiful you've grown. She loved you a lot...gave her life for the chance that you could be free. Gave up any hopes and dreams she had for her future so that you might be allowed some of your own."  
  
Finn's gaze remained cold and locked on Eve's, but the hand holding the gun began to waver slightly. "I asked you a question," she demanded, her tone even more ruthless than before. "What are you talking about?"  
  
Eve kept her own gaze unflinching on Finn. "I am talking about Mandy. Your mother."  
  
"I don't have a mother."  
  
Eve felt like she had been slapped across the face, but she refused to let Finn win so easily. "Yes you do. Even if they never told you about her, even if Manticore never let you know her name, you've always had a mother."  
  
Finn's breathing became more sporadic as terror filled the angry eyes. "What do you know about Manticore?"  
  
"Enough." Eve whispered, "Enough to know that they're pure evil. Enough to know that I gave them nine months of my life without really knowing why. And enough to know that you, Finn Delaney are the daughter of my best friend." Eve looked deeper into the young girls eyes, searching for any glimmer of understanding. "Enough to know that you are an X5. Just like" she lifted a shaking hand to point at the dangling chain, "my daughter."  
  
The silence of the cold night air was broken only by the sound of gun hitting the dirt, it's thud multiplied by the alley walls surrounding them.  
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"I'm sorry."  
  
At Finn's words, Eve let out a soft laugh which was sucked in quickly due to the cold of the ice pack that Finn dabbed on her temple. Reaching up, Eve took the ice pack out of the young girls hands and looked into her apologetic eyes.  
  
"Finn, we've been through this about a hundred times in the last hour alone. It's okay."  
  
Sighing Finn shook her head and collapsed into the couch beside Eve's armchair. "No it's not," she muttered dejectedly, "And can you not call me that, please? It's just a stage name. The stupidest name I've ever heard too. Call me Jondy."  
  
Eve let out a short burst of laughter and then cringed at the pain it caused. "That's supposed to be a better name, is it?"  
  
Jondy glared good naturally and stuck out her tongue. "Are you hungry?"  
  
"Once again, you have asked me that way too many times in the last little while. I told you, I'm fine."  
  
After the initial shock of Eve's choked declaration had passed, Jondy had realized in horror the damage that she had done to the poor woman. She had preceded to take her to her apartment, which was closer than Eve's, and had been fussing over her ever since.  
  
Eve glanced up at Jondy's abnormal silence and caught the young girl looking forlornly at her hands.  
  
"Honestly," Eve whispered comfortingly, "I've had a lot worse than a bump and scrape on the head."  
  
Jondy looked up with a sheepish smile, "Yeah, I guess. I keep forgetting that you were at Manticore too."  
  
Shaking her head, Eve let out a soft grunt, "Not like you were." Eve studied Jondy's face, curiously. She had almost expected her to have Mandy's clear, bright blue eyes, but she had to admit that she was glad she didn't. These eyes seemed to suit her much better. Instead of the clarity and innocence that Mandy's had portrayed, Jondy's eye color was a light and creamy green, almost the color of seafoam. There was a dark, hunter green circle around the lighter color, and the deep and misty pools reflected both the pain and hardships bared as well as the soft and sweet side of the young woman. Sighing again, Eve reached to take Jondy's hand in her own.  
  
"What's the matter? You're being so quiet. An hour ago I couldn't shut you up."  
  
It was true. When the two women had first reached her home, Jondy had been completely buzzing. First it was all concern for Eve, but when she realized that the older woman was only a little shaken, she had turned to bombarding her with questions of her mother and the other X5 surrogates. Eve had taken great pleasure in seeing Jondy's eyes light at the touching stories of the woman that had given her life for her. But now, there was a melancholy in the light green eyes that set Eve's heart panicking. Somehow she knew what Jondy had to say was about Eden, and from the pained look on her face, it wasn't good.  
  
"I don't want to tell you." Jondy's whisper was soft and heartbreaking and Eve felt a lump begin to grow in her throat. "We never knew about mothers...about families. Love was too abstract and dangerous a notion to get involved with. But she...she started calling us 'brothers and sisters', she started caring for us even before we knew what that meant. She was the best friend I ever had."  
  
Despite the tears that were beginning to form in Eve's eyes, she squeezed Jondy's hand in compassion. "But..." she prompted.  
  
"I wanted to see her after the escape. I think Zack really started to get annoyed with me. He said it was too dangerous. He never really understood. So I let it go. I guess even after all those years, my military training was still drilled into me. He was my CO, I couldn't go against his orders. Now," she whispered, looking up, tears misting her soft eyes, "now I wish I'd have pushed a little harder. Then at least..." she broke off suddenly, choking on her tears. One hand reached up and briskly wiped the drops from her cheek. "I'm so sorry, Eve." Her grip tightened on Eve's hand and the tears fell unabashed now.   
  
"Jondy..." Eve's voice was almost a plea as she stared at the young girl in horror.  
  
"There was an attack. I honestly don't know what came over them, but they went back to Manticore. They were going to wipe out the genetics lab and as far as I know they did. Krit came after and told me about it. I was furious with them for not coming to get me, but they said I was too far away. And then he told me."  
  
"He told you what?"  
  
Jondy closed her eyes and when she opened them and spoke again, Eve felt like she had fallen off the edge of the world and there was no way to get back.  
  
"She didn't make it."  
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Later on in the night, as the wind blew hard against the old apartment building, Jondy went quietly out to the living room to check on Eve. She found her sitting at the window sill staring into the dark night, a blank and empty look etched on her pretty features. Sensing that she wanted to be left alone, yet needing to somehow help, Jondy inched forward almost timidly.  
  
"Eve," she whispered softly. Eve just continued to stare out the window and after what seemed like an eternity, Jondy turned to leave, her shoulders slumped in defeat.  
  
"You know I had convinced myself that I would get to hold her."  
  
Eve's words broke through the torturous silence and Jondy turned back around to face her. Although her back was still to her, Jondy could almost see the pained expression on the woman's face.  
  
"I knew how unlikely it was that I would ever even see her again, but somehow I believed that I would. It was the only thing that kept me going." Slowly, as if each small movement launched daggers at her very soul, Eve turned her face towards Jondy. "They never even let me hold her." Closing her eyes she leaned her head against the window sill and took a shuddering breath. "And they won. Despite everything, they won."  
  
"No." Although Jondy's voice was quiet it held a determination like no other. "They didn't win. She got a life, Eve. She got out, she got a life and she fell in love. Krit said that the two of them were connected more than anyone he'd ever seen. And he stayed with her until the end." Sighing, Jondy made her way to the windowsill and wrapped Eve's shaking body in a hug. "Go to Seattle. Find out for yourself what happened. Make sure that our story is correct."  
  
"But..."  
  
Jondy interrupted Eve with a firm shake of her head. "If there's one thing that I've learned to count on in this life, it's to never underestimate the things that Manticore can do. For good, or for bad."  
  
"Why Seattle?"  
  
A small smile appeared at the corners of Jondy's mouth. "I got it from Zack in one of his...weaker moments. It's were she lived. There's a guy there, a journalist, goes by the name of Eyes Only. He's helped us out before. I know why, but he has. Try and find him. He might have the answers you're looking for."  
  
Nodding slowly, Eve took another deep breath and rested her head against Jondy's shoulder. Her shoulders gradually stopped shaking, and her breathing became more smooth and easy. Just as Jondy was sure she had fallen asleep, though, a tiny voice proved her wrong.  
  
"You should really think about taking a trip to New Jersey. There's a man down there who would love to meet you."  
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As memory after memory washed over her, Eve sat sobbing in the rain. She had been in Seattle a year, and nothing had turned up. Nothing, that was, except for an unexpected friendship. She had never intended to become as attached to Maia as she had, but as she sat in the rain, her shoulders shaking from pent-up sadness, she realized just how many of her walls the young mom had broken. Eve wasn't sure if she was ready. It had been over twenty years since she had let someone get close to her, but the fear was still brand new.  
  
"Eve?"  
  
Eve's head snapped up at the familiar voice calling her name. Maia was running down the street towards her, her blonde hair dark from the rain.  
  
"Oh Eve," she gasped, falling down beside her friend and pulling her into a hug.  
  
"Where are the children?" Eve's voice was broken by her ragged breathing but Maia ignored that fact.  
  
"I got the neighbor to come and look after them. I told her it was an emergency." Maia searched Eve's tear-stained face and red eyes before putting her arms around her once again. "Eve, I'm sorry." Maia's own voice cracked as she grabbed her friend's hand. "I shouldn't have pushed you. I was just worried. I wanted you to know that you can tell me anything, but I guess I didn't go about it the right way. I'll back off, I promise. You don't need to tell me anything, I won't..."  
  
Eve took a deep, shuddering breath and looked up to meet Maia's imploring gaze. Yes, it had been a long time, but that didn't mean that she had to swear off all love and friendship. What had happened wasn't her fault, and for the first time in a long time she was beginning to realize that.  
  
"I want to tell you." She said, her voice soft but firm.  
  
"What?" Maia gasped, blinking quickly at Eve's quick turnabout.  
  
"I want to tell you."   
  
"Okay." Maia nodded slowly, but made no attempt to move.  
  
Eve looked at her and the absurdity almost made her laugh. "Right here?"  
  
Again Maia nodded, this time with much more conviction. "I don't want to chance you changing your mind by the time we get back to my place. Right here is fine."  
  
Eve bit her lip as she began to recant the very story that she had forbidden herself to speak of. But as the words slipped past her mouth and Maia still stayed by her side, some of her fears slipped away. She had gone twenty years with hope as her only support, and though the odds were against a happy ending, she couldn't help but hope for one anyway. Jondy's words still rang in her head like she was there saying them. If there's one thing that I've learned to count on in this life, it's to never underestimate the things that Manticore can do." Somehow she knew that fate would not be so cruel as to steal her daughter from her twice. Though her mind argued her heart held steady: Eden was still out there. And if she was, there was nothing that could keep Eve from finding her.  
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Wow, well it's taken a looooong time, but I'm finally finished. I hope you guys liked it, and I need your help. I know how much all of you wanted Eve and Max to meet. That I predicted. An unsuspected thing was that you guys were so gung-ho about Nash and Eve. Seriously, I think there were as many requests to get those two back together as there were to get Eve and Max together. The bad thing is that right from the beginning I knew where this was headed, and right from the beginning, a reunion wasn't in the plans. At least not for this particular story. HOWEVER, if you guys are interested I'd always hoped to continue this. 'No Greater Love' is mainly a story of the past, and I would absolutely love to write one about the "present". More shippiness would abound in that one, between both Nash and Eve as well as Max and Logan. If you guys would like this, please write a review and tell me so. If I did do a sequel, then I would probably take a note from Roguie's books and write it before posting it. That way you guys wouldn't have to wait months for each posting. However, you would have to wait months before I posted the story. Tell me what your thoughts are on that too, if you review. If the next story does happen it'll probably be called "Not A Day Goes By", so keep an eye out for it. Until then...peace, out. 


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